Not Exact Reflection
by Clouded-Days
Summary: Bakura is Ryou's duplicate created as a project. When he is let out & finds out he's just a lab rat, winds up destroying the lab. While trying to build the trust & be a friend, Ryou is left to keep him under control. But there's always secrets...COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

First off, I want to say that this is my first sci-fi fic! -sparkle sparkle- I got the idea and I really liked it so I decided to make it into a fanfic and hoping some people will like it too. The bad thing is now I have like...four or five fanfics going at one time. Please don't kill me. -hides in a corner-

* * *

A slim, pale hand was pressed up against the glass, hopeful chocolate colored eyes staring upwards at the supposedly sleeping figure inside. Ryou blinked, seeing the figure's fingers twitch, his mouth twitching into a frown. Ryou pressed his other hand up to the glass as well, staring through the purplish liquid, "Hey, I think he's waking up…"

His eyes flickered, easing open to reveal dark, brown eyes, tinted with crimson. His fingers twitched again, a stream of bubbles appearing in the enclosed space and drifting up towards the surface. He looked about with his eyes, confused at the glass container he was trapped inside of. His eyes drifted from the groups of people in white lab coats to the white walls, white floor, and then to the machinery and test tubes, desks piled high with papers and tests. He looked down at himself, noticing the tube running into his right arm, a needle pierced into his wrist.

Ryou's eyes widened as the figure moved closer towards him, placing both hands against the glass, the exact same size as Ryou's own. The teenager felt guilty at the noticeable confusion that lurked inside those eyes, but…

_Who is he? Who are they? Who am I? Where am I? _The thoughts came in one huge stream, and he racked his brain for answers, but there weren't any. He tilted his head to one side just slightly, his dark eyes set upon the teenager in front of him.

"Can you hear me?" Ryou asked in a calm voice, using the softest tone he could. He didn't want to scare him…

He bobbed his head up and down quickly, his fingers pressed tightly up against the glass barrier.

"Can you speak?" Ryou questioned. The figure inside hesitated, but slowly opened his mouth, and he heard the quiet reply of 'yes'. Ryou was about to ask another question, but he heard his name being called, "I'm sorry. I'll be back in a few minutes. I promise."

He blinked, merely watching Ryou as the teenager ran off. He frowned, now even more confused than before, and watched in silence as Ryou held a conversation with another worker.

"So, he seems to be stable enough. I think we can let him out of there, but that's it, considering we don't know anything about him yet."

Ryou was grinning as he raced back over to the glass container, and almost slammed his hand down on the button, the figure inside looking around almost frantically as the lavender liquid inside began to drain. Ryou grasped hold of the handle on the outside, and pulled the door in the glass container open slowly.

He blinked at Ryou, frowning as Ryou stepped inside, and slowly approached him, and took his arm, slowly removing the needle in his wrist, and gently pulled him out of the container. "…Who…are you?" He asked, his voice deep, with an accent like Ryou's.

"Just call me Ryou," the teenager answered with a huge smile, letting go of his wrist after Ryou had pulled him out of the container. "And we call you Bakura."

_Ryou. So…who is he exactly? And that's my name?_

"…Tell me more." Bakura said simply, cocking his head slightly to one side.

"I will, I promise." Ryou handed him a towel. "Here."

Bakura took it, slowly drying himself off. He froze, however, as everyone else did, seeing the door to the room being yanked open. Ryou swallowed, and looked down at his shoes as a middle-aged man walked into the room, hands placed behind his back. "So. How's our _project_ coming along?" He asked, walking right up to Ryou, and took a glance at Bakura.

"W-Well…things are just now starting. We still have tests a-and-" Ryou was cut short as the man grabbed his shirt collar. "I told you already! We only have until Friday!"

"I-I know, but…" Ryou swallowed.

Bakura, standing motionless with the towel about his shoulders, blinked. "Hey. Let him go."

Both males looked at him, the elder male letting go of Ryou's shirt and came closer to Bakura, looming over him, dark emerald eyes glistening with hidden rage. "Watch what you say," he hissed.

"As if I'm afraid of you." Bakura said simply, the height difference of three inches not bothering him.

"That's not what matters. We don't care what you think or feel. You're nothing to us. You're just a lab rat created from someone else. You're nothing but Ryou's duplicate."

Bakura froze. _A…lab rat? Ryou's…clone? _His hands clenched into tight fists. "I'll show _you _a lab rat!" Bakura bellowed, punching the man full force in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. "Fine! I'll show you all what a mere copy can do!"

Ryou's mocha orbs widened, desperately grabbing Bakura's arm. "Bakura, please, don't-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your lies!" He screamed, knocking Ryou to the floor. The teenager weakly sat up, glimpsing the lines of electricity flowing from broken wires and cords, Bakura's shoulders heaving as he continued to destroy the lab.

"Bakura, please, stop-" Ryou was cut short, coughing as a cloud of smoke rose, his eyes wide at the sight of the reddish embers forming about the broken and malfunctioning machinery. Ryou stayed on the floor, desperately moving along, and managed to pry open a window, climbing out quickly. He lost track of time, his eyes wide as the white building soon went up in flames. His breath caught in his throat a few minutes after, seeing Bakura coming towards him, his bare chest covered with soot and dark ash. "…Why did you do that?" Ryou questioned.

"They deserved it."

"You don't have any idea what you've just done!" Ryou screamed, his eyes pricked with angry tears. "Now what am I going to do?!"

"What do you mean?"

"You destroyed it and you probably killed all those people! Let alone, now I don't have a job…" Ryou sighed, dragging his hand through his white tangles. "Whatever. It's not like you'd understand anyway…"

Bakura was immobile for a long moment, and Ryou was beginning to walk away, but stopped as Bakura grabbed his arm. "Wait…"

"Why should I?" Ryou snapped, pulling his arm free.

"Please, Ryou. I…I don't know anything about this place. I…I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Ryou slowly looked over his shoulder at him, seeing an almost desperate look in Bakura's eyes. Ryou heaved a huge sigh. "…Fine."

The two albinos looked back at what used to be the lab, now nothing but a huge pile of still burning rubble. Ryou's eyes caught crimson, seeing blood dripping from Bakura's hands. "Hey. What happened?"

Bakura glanced down at his bleeding hands, and frowned at a visible piece of glass lodged in the soft folds of his skin. "…I…don't know."

"Sit." Ryou commanded, and Bakura obeyed, sitting down silently on the ground as Ryou slowly began to pry out the glass. Bakura frowned as more blood began to dribble from the slashes, and eventually, Ryou managed to pry out the glass. Bakura continued to stare at the blood that was oozing out of his hands. "What is this stuff?"

"It's called blood." Ryou said simply, ripping a piece of his shirt. "It's vital. Lose too much and you'll die." Bakura blinked as Ryou bandaged his hands. "There."

Ryou's eyes drifted over the male sitting beside him. A mess of white hair clung to his shoulders and went down his back, his skin an ivory shade. His chest was bare, blackened a little from the fire, and was only wearing a pair of boxers, his legs long, and his feet were bare as well, visible muscles on his skinny frame. Bakura slowly looked up from his bandage, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Bakura cocked his head slightly to one side, a curtain of white hair falling partially over his face. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Who exactly am I?"

Ryou blinked, and lowered his gaze, biting his lower lip. "…Y…You…really were created from me, Bakura… O-Our boss needed a new project…and eventually, they picked me as the subject. But…I've heard some rumors…that during the cloning process…the DNA was altered…so, I guess technically we're not really exactly the same…"

Bakura blinked and lowered his gaze as well. "So…I was just made as a project?"

"Not exactly. T…The other workers…you know, they're a lot older than me, and a lot of them are married with children and everything, but…I don't have any of that. They kind of agreed that if you turned out as planned…then you could be taken in by me as like…like a family member…"

"…Don't you have family?" Bakura asked.

Ryou shook his head. "My mother and sister died years ago in a car accident, and my father is an archeologist, but their findings plummeted, so I barely get enough money to buy food and clothes and stuff like that…that's why I had to get that job…"

"…I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault." Ryou answered, sighing.

"…I…I can help…" Bakura offered. "I can get a job too and help you, can't I?"

"…It's not that simple." Ryou said quietly, his gaze fixed on his shoes. He sighed again. "But that's not the most important thing right now. First we need to find a place to stay…it's going to get dark soon…" He stood, dusting himself off.

"…Can you tell me more while we look?" Bakura asked, his head slightly titled to one side.

"Yeah, I guess so." Ryou answered, starting to walk down the dirt and gravel path. "What exactly are you most curious about?"

"Everything. I mean…there's just so much…"

"Well, you must have gotten a bit of some info during the cloning process. You already knew how to talk and beat people up and stuff like that…"

Bakura grimaced, raising his eyes skyward. Neither of them spoke for a long time.

"…I'm going to make it up to you." Bakura said suddenly, his gaze fixed firmly on the world ahead.

"But-"

"Look, I just screwed up basically your entire life and future, so I'm going to fix it, whether you like it or not." Bakura looked firmly at Ryou. "I promise I'll make it up to you, Ryou."

"You think you can do it on your own?" Ryou teased, placing his hands on his hips. "I doubt it."

"I bet I can get more done than you."

Ryou grinned. "I bet you can't."

"Then I guess I'm going to prove you wrong." Bakura answered, sticking out his tongue. He froze, however, as his stomach growled, the faintest blush appearing on his cheeks. Ryou burst into a fit of laughter. "I think you should eat something first."

Ryou continued to lead the way, Bakura at his heels, the slightly older male straining to take in everything at once.

_I think he's going to like it here. _Ryou thought, hiding a smile.

* * *

Chapter 1: End.

Yay! First chapter accomplished! So what do you guys think of it? You guys know if I get reviews I update real quick. :) -hint hint-


	2. Chapter 2

Yay! Second is up! Okies, first of all, I want to say thanks to all the reviewers. Seriously, you guys are awesome. -hands out cookies- Hopefully this chapter will answer some questions some of you may have.

Second, I want to say that I have school starting again really soon, so things might be a little different. I may not update every day or every other day like I usually do, but I promise I'll try to keep updating quick. :D

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The two were seated at a table, Bakura poking at his potatoes with a fork. Bakura slowly looked up, seeing Ryou staring blankly out of the window close by. "…Ryou? You okay?"

Ryou's head snapped in Bakura's direction, his eyes wide. "H-Huh?"

"I asked if you're okay."

"…O-Oh… Yeah. I'm fine…"

Bakura bit his lip as Ryou merely lowered his gaze to the table. "…Ryou…what's bothering you?"

Ryou slowly looked up at him. "…It's…it's just that I was barely getting by before all this. Now I don't have anywhere to go, no job, and I have to pay to take care of you too…" Ryou sighed, placing his head down on his arms.

"Wait. You _lived _in that lab?"

Ryou nodded slowly, tears pricking chocolate colored eyes. "…It…was kind of like living in an apartment…I had to pay rent and help with the power bill since I used so much extra…and you know I had to buy my own food and clothes and everything. I was scared to death the first time…it was so dark and quiet. It…got lonely sometimes…" Ryou whispered with his gaze lowered. "…T…They always said I was soft…"

Bakura frowned. "…You're not soft. You're living on your own at like, what, sixteen? There's a lot you have to take care of, not just yourself. You're not soft, Ryou. At all."

"…Thanks."

The silence between the two returned, Bakura merely sticking another forkful of food into his mouth, his head propped up on one hand, which was resting under his chin, his elbow propped up on the table. His gaze lazily flicked back up at Ryou, who still had his head resting on his arms. "…Hey, Ryou."

The teenager looked up at him.

"…Why is everyone acting like this? I mean…they're smiling and laughing and…" Bakura trailed off into silence, looking about the small café.

"We have emotions." Ryou said simply, mixing his drink with a straw. "The way we feel effects how we act. Like, when we're happy we can smile or laugh, and sometimes when we're upset we cry."

"Oh." Bakura frowned. "Hey, wait. You said I'm you, right?" Ryou nodded. "Does that mean we have the same birthday and the same age?" Bakura asked, his head slightly titled to one side.

"…I…I don't know, actually…"

Bakura looked out of the window, his eyes lighting up. The man jumped to his feet, and raced out of the small building, Ryou running after him, "Bakura, wait!" He yelled as Bakura raced outside. Ryou managed to catch up as Bakura came to a halt, the slightly taller boy staring up at the sky. "What's going on?" He asked, but despite his confusion, he was grinning.

Ryou looked up, seeing huge flakes of snow falling. _Oh… _"Snow…"

"Snow?" Bakura repeated, looking right at Ryou. The boy nodded. "It's so…so…" Unable to pick a word, Bakura merely shrugged it off, running off, Ryou desperately chasing him, and managed to latch on to Bakura's arm. Ryou noticed how his breath was starting to fog in front of him, shivering madly in the cold, his worn jacket and thin, long-sleeved shirt underneath not doing much to keep him warm. "B-Bakura, we should go inside…"

"But why?" Bakura asked.

"It's cold. You don't even have a coat…"

"So?" Bakura asked simply, frowning.

"Do you want to get sick?" Ryou asked, tugging on Bakura's arm. Bakura pulled his arm away, shrugging, and ran off. Ryou sighed deeply, deciding to let him enjoy it, and sat down on a wooden bench on the sidewalk, pulling his legs up against his chest, and rested his head in the safe cradle of his knees, the teenager shivering as his breath fogged once more in front of him. _It's almost February and we're just now getting snow… _He thought, watching the white fall, soon coating the ground, the sky turning a shade of gray, the boy looking up as a shadow fell over him.

Eventually, Bakura was feeling the effects of his lack of clothing, his worn long-sleeved, black shirt and jeans not enough. He shivered, seeing his breath fogging in front of him as he breathed. _Where'd Ryou go? _He thought in silence while passing one of the shops, hurling a snowball at the window, where it shattered into white flakes. He looked around, and frowned, seeing near everything coated in a blanket of white. He didn't see Ryou anywhere. The man fled across the street to the abandoned sidewalk, peering through shop windows where everyone had fled to, as he walked, looking around everywhere at once for his friend. He gave a small sigh of relief when he spotted Ryou's mess of white hair, and quickly ran over to the bench. He froze instantly, a weird feeling in his stomach.

Ryou was sprawled on the bench, curled up in a ball, his trembling frame covered in snow, so much that you could barely see his clothes, his back to the world. Bakura placed a firm, pale hand on the teenager's shoulder, and shook him gently, confused when Ryou didn't look up or respond. Bakura pulled him into a sitting position, and started dusting off the snow from his look-alike. He looked up, and opened his mouth to say something, but froze as he spotted crimson. With a trembling hand he moved Ryou's front bangs out of the way, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of blood oozing down the teenager's forehead. He felt just a slight amount of relief when Ryou's fingers twitched, cloudy brown eyes easing open slowly. Ryou groaned quietly. Oh, how his head hurt…

"Ryou?" Bakura asked, relieved a little when Ryou looked up at him.

"Man, my head…" Ryou muttered, running his hand through his hair and froze when he felt something, slowly removing his hand to see his fingers decorated with blood. His stomach dropped, a sick feeling washing over him as the memory came back.

Bakura frowned as Ryou lowered his gaze, the boy trembling. "Ryou? Ryou, what's the matter?" He asked gently, sitting down on the bench beside the teenager.

Ryou was frantically rummaging through his pockets, and looked up at Bakura, his eyes wide. "…H…He took it…"

"What? Ryou, what are you talking about?" Bakura froze as Ryou started crying. "…Ryou…tell me. What's wrong?"

Ryou's chin trembled. "…W…When you left…t-this g-guy…" Ryou pulled his legs up to his chest, shaking as his breath fogged in front of him. "…T-This guy…c-came o-over here…"

Bakura frowned. "A guy? What happened?"

"…H-He w-was sitting beside me…h-he a-asked w-who I was waiting f-for…"

Bakura's frown deepened as Ryou stammered and stumbled over his words, obviously upset. "And?"

"…I…I t-tried to g-get up, b-but…h-he said if I l-left o-or s-screamed…h-he'd…he'd k-kill me…"

"And you listened to him?"

Ryou nodded slowly. "I-I d-didn't know if h-he was t-telling the truth o-or not… I…I didn't want to r-risk it…"

Bakura sighed. "Then what?"

Ryou hiccupped, lowering his head to the safe cradle of his knees. "I-I…r-remember…w-when he hit me…a-and everything w-was g-going dark…h-he stood up…a-and l-left… H-He took my wallet, too…" Ryou whimpered, crying harder.

"Ryou…" Bakura froze as Ryou latched onto him, sobbing into the man's shirt. "…How much money was that?"

"…A…little less than t-two hundred…" Ryou choked out, crying hard. "B-Bakura…it…it was all I had…"

Bakura's stomach dropped. "Wait. You don't have any money now? At all?"

Ryou shook his head, which was still buried in Bakura's shirt as he cried. Bakura swore under his breath, sighing deeply, and hesitantly placed his hands on Ryou's back. "What…did he look like?"

"I-I d-don't k-know. H-He was w-wearing t-this hat…I-I c-couldn't s-see his face…" Ryou choked out, shivering uncontrollably.

_Great. Now what? _Bakura thought, sighing once more as Ryou cried.

* * *

Bakura continued to stare straight ahead, unable to sleep. Ryou had fallen into slumber a long time ago, curled up against Bakura, shivering in his sleep, small flakes of snow starting to fall. Bakura growled quietly, shuddering as well. He was cold. _Really _cold. He raised his pale hands, rubbing them together, but it seemed not to be doing a thing to help. His gaze fell on Ryou, the teenager curled up in the smallest ball he could manage. _Maybe…if I had stayed with him like he said…none of this would've happened… Then all of this…is my fault. I have to pay him back. No matter what, I have to do that._

A frown lingered on Bakura's lips as the two sat there, Ryou moving even closer to Bakura in his sleep, shivering madly. Bakura watched the very few people as they passed by, the two albinos unnoticed by the world around them. _And it just had to be Ryou. Now on top of him being homeless and jobless, he doesn't have any money. How is he going to afford anything, let alone food? …Fine. I messed everything up. I can suffer. The kid goes first, even if it does going without food for a few days. I'll live._

_But still. How am I going to repay Ryou for everything I've done?_

Bakura's frown deepened, and he sighed, closing his eyes for a minute and then reopened them. _We need to find somewhere to stay first. But how can we scrape enough money together to even pay rent or anything like that? And then there's power bills and-_

Bakura gave a growl of disgust, slapping a hand to his forehead. _What have I done?!_

He glanced down at the sound of a groan, seeing Ryou shifting his position, and slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Bakura. "…You're…still awake?" He asked drowsily, blinking heavily.

"Yeah. But I'll be fine, all right? You need to get some rest, okay?" Ryou was still shivering, pressing himself up against Bakura's arm. "…Look…Ryou…I…I'm so sorry…"

"…It's…it's fine…" Ryou said quietly, chocolate colored eyes drifting shut as Ryou slowly fell back asleep.

_It's not fine. Everything is wrong. Horribly wrong. What am I supposed to do? Ryou's only sixteen and if the statistics are the same, that means I am too. What are two sixteen-year-old boys supposed to do?_

Bakura groaned, feeling a nasty tickle in the back of his throat, and shuddered, moving a little closer to Ryou, but he still felt like he was being drowned in ice. _What am I supposed to do?!_

Bakura sighed once more, resting his head on the firm object behind him, and closed his eyes. _I'm so sorry, Ryou. But I'll make it up to you. I promise. No matter what, I'll make it up to you._

Bakura allowed the darkness, and it flooded in, the feeling of exhaustion washing over him as sleep was slowly overpowering him. _I promise you._

Bakura soon fell into a deep sleep, hand firmly placed on Ryou's shoulder, the two sleeping silently as the streetlamps slowly flickered off, the entire area now bathed in complete darkness.

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Chapter 2: End.


	3. Chapter 3

Dang. Many thanks to the reviewers! You guys got me by surprise, really. I didn't think this many people would be reviewing...

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Bakura sighed deeply, resting his head against the wall behind him, seated on the bench on the sidewalk, Ryou right beside him, the teenager already in a deep, exhausted sleep. The day had been completely uneventful, and it was currently twilight, the sky finally going black as the streetlamps flickered on. Bakura slowly closed his eyes, about to drift off into sleep, but froze when he heard a voice. "Hey, kid."

Bakura looked up, frowning at the two guys standing in front of him. "What's people like you doing out so late?" Bakura didn't answer, his right hand curling about Ryou's jacket sleeve.

"Are you stupid? Why don't you talk?!"

Bakura still said nothing, and glanced at Ryou, to see him awakening. Ryou slowly opened his eyes, opening his mouth to say something, but he froze at the two older boys staring down at him, and swallowed, pressing against the back of the bench with wide eyes.

"Heh, looks like he's afraid." The first one said with a grin, and grabbed Ryou's collar, jerking him right off the bench, the teenager hoisted off the ground, staring wide-eyed upwards.

"Put him down." Bakura said firmly, his brown, crimson tinted eyes darkening.

"Or what?"

Bakura visibly bristled as Ryou was hit, the teenager wincing aloud, struggling in the grip, only to be hit harder, this time, a blow to his face, making Ryou near scream in pain.

"I said _put him down." _Bakura growled, rising to his feet. The older boy was an inch or so taller than he was, but Bakura didn't seem to care. The crimson tint in his dark eyes seemed to be brightening, looking like the same color as blood as the light from the streetlamps reflected off of them.

"Why don't you make me? I'm not afraid of some freak with white hair and red eyes." He spat, Bakura's eyes narrowing as Ryou was slammed up against one wall, the boy whimpering softly.

"I said _let him go!" _Bakura bellowed, drawing himself up into full height, his voice echoing. Ryou's eyes widened as the light bulbs in the streetlamps exploded, darkness flooding the area, except for lone shops lights. Bakura's shoulders were drawn, his hands clenched into tight fists. "_NOW!"_

Ryou gasped as the rest of the light went out, even the lights in the shops. There was nothing but darkness, Ryou unable to see a thing. He heard a grunt as the grip disappeared from his jacket, and the boy fell heavily to the ground, wincing in pain. Bakura's eyes were narrowed to mere slits, his fist colliding with the second boy's jaw, sending him stumbling backwards, the first one clutching his bleeding nose. "Now get out of here." Bakura growled, his eyes flashing with rage. When neither of them moved, Bakura's eyes flashed crimson. "I said _get out of here!"_

Ryou was relieved when the two fled, and slowly stood up, shaken, with a mark on his jaw, but otherwise unharmed. "Bakura?" Ryou called into the darkness.

Bakura's eyes were wide, the crimson tint dulling back out, as he sat there on the ground. The lights slowly came back on, one at a time. Bakura shakily stood up, seeing Ryou seated on the bench. "What happened?" Ryou asked, Bakura merely shrugging. His head was aching, but yet, he didn't know the cause, and it felt as if his legs were made of rubber. "…R…Ryou…"

Ryou looked at him, his eyes widening at how _pale_ Bakura looked. He gasped as Bakura collapsed, Ryou quickly catching him, Bakura almost limp in his arms. "B-Bakura? Bakura, what's wrong?!" He asked frantically, gingerly hefting Bakura up, and set him down horizontally on the bench.

"…I…I…d…don't…k-know…" Bakura whispered, staring up at the black sky. Everything was spinning around… "…R…R-Ry…ou…" Ryou's stomach dropped as Bakura's eyes rolled back slightly, the man falling into a dead faint, leaving Ryou alone and confused.

* * *

_What happened…? Where am I…?_

His vision was a huge smudge, and the light burned at his eyes, seeing a mere outline of a figure hovering over him. _Ryou…?_

Ryou's heart sank when Bakura's eyes slowly fell shut again. That was the third time! Ryou sighed deeply, his eyes slightly bloodshot from getting so little sleep last night. He felt another burst of excitement when Bakura's eyes slowly eased open, the man blinking heavily, his head slowly rolling to one side.

_What…am I lying on…? _He thought, the bench beneath him feeling terribly hard, the wood feeling as if it was digging into his spine. _Ryou…Ryou, what happened to me…?_

Ryou watched Bakura slowly roll over, the man's body rigid. Bakura let his eyes fall closed for a minute, and then reopened them, staring at Ryou with blank eyes. "Bakura?"

_I want…I want to go back to sleep… _Bakura thought, hating the present situation with the light burning at his eyes, how tired he felt, how weak he felt, how confused he was…

"Hey, Bakura, can you hear me?" Ryou asked, seeing how blank Bakura's expression was, how confused he seemed… He felt a bit of relief when Bakura nodded.

_Why does my head hurt so badly? _Bakura thought, raising a pale, slim hand and pressed it to his forehead, sitting weakly upright, and gasped as intense pain shot up his spine.

"Bakura what's wrong?"

"It…it's nothing, Ryou…" Bakura said quietly between clenched teeth. He didn't want him to worry. Bakura planted his feet on the sidewalk, slowly standing upright. "A-Anyway…we should probably get going…"

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura took a shaky step, the man collapsing instantly to the concrete, his body trembling. "Bakura…"

"I…s-said I'm fine…" Bakura grunted, placing shaking arms to the sidewalk, and managed to stand back up. His knees felt weak, his head hurt, and he was horribly cold. "I-I'm fine…" He repeated, walking shakily to the corner before dropping to his knees, hunched over on the freezing concrete.

"Bakura, really, what's wrong?" Ryou asked, his brow furrowing as he helped Bakura to his feet, the slightly taller boy leaning heavily against him. Bakura didn't answer. He felt so sleepy…

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, frowning. Bakura was trembling, his teeth chattering as he leaned against his look-alike, his legs weak. Ryou led him back to the bench, and forced the man to sit, Bakura drawing his legs up to his chest, shaking with cold. "Bakura, please…say something…"

"…I…I want…to go back to sleep…" Bakura said in a barely audible whisper. He wanted to have that feeling of dreams again, unable to feel the cold and the weakness. He was so _tired…_

Ryou sighed, sitting down beside him, and placed a pale hand on Bakura's shoulder. "…Not now. I'm sorry, Bakura, but we have to try to find a solution today…I don't know how long we'll be able to last…"

Bakura lowered his head to the warm cradle of his knees, sneezing, and groaned quietly, putting a slim hand to his forehead. Ryou sighed deeply. _Oh man. If he gets sick…_ The teenager tried, and failed, to shake the thought away, helping Bakura to his feet, his insides burning in pity at how pale and exhausted Bakura looked, his hair a messy tangle of white. Ryou sighed deeply once more, lightly pinching the bridge of his nose. _This just had to happen to me…_

"Bakura." Ryou said suddenly, the man looking up at him, dark eyes slightly clouded. Bakura's eyes widened when Ryou pulled him onto his back, Ryou grunting, unused to carrying much weight. "…Ryou…" Bakura said softly.

"Look, I know you're not feeling well, so get some sleep. I'll wake you up later."

Bakura's expression softened, the man resting his head on Ryou's shoulder, welcoming the warmth from pressing against Ryou's jacket, but it instantly disappeared as gust of wind came, lashing against his skin.

_You have to stay well. If you get sick…I don't know what I'll do… _Ryou thought silently, feeling Bakura's head resting on his shoulder, the teenager walking to the corner. _I don't even know what I'm going to do now…most places won't hire two sixteen-year-old boys who don't have anywhere to go… _Ryou sighed, feeling tears form in the corners of his eyes, but he pushed them away. Feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to get him anywhere…

He was so cold… The worn black jacket didn't seem to exist, icy wind lashing at his face. He felt his chest tighten as he spotted small flakes of snow falling again, tears pulsing in his eyes once again. And this time, they fell.

Bakura, who had fallen asleep, suddenly awoke, his vision bleary. As it focused, he frowned, finding himself under the overhang of a building. He could hear a noise, and it bothered a bit. "Ryou?" He asked softly, finding the teenager leaning against the brick wall, and Bakura could feel his shoulders shaking, pearl white bangs hiding his face. "Ryou, what's the matter?"

Bakura yelped as Ryou released him, the man falling onto the sidewalk on his back, and shakily stood up. "Ryou…" He murmured, gently touching Ryou's shoulder, his eyes wide when Ryou sunk to the frozen concrete, legs against his chest, his head bowed, resting in the cradle of his knees. "Ryou, what's wrong?" Bakura asked, crouching down beside him. Ryou looked up slowly, brown eyes spilling tears. "Hey…don't cry…" Bakura said quietly, sitting down beside him. Ryou instantly lowered his gaze, sniffing. _Everything is wrong…_

"Ryou, talk to me…"

Ryou whimpered softly, looking up at Bakura with innocent, hurt eyes. His chin trembled, throwing himself against Bakura, and started crying once again into the man's shirt. Bakura sighed deeply, placing pale, slightly trembling hands onto the teenager's back, Ryou almost wailing. "Ryou…everything will be all right, I promise… It may take a while, but I promise I'll make it up to you…"

Ryou sniffled, his pale, shaking hands clutching the ridges of Bakura's shirt. He looked up slowly, seeing the exhausted look on Bakura's face, the man's head slightly bowed as messy white bangs fell over his eyes. Bakura slowly raised his head, eyes now visible, and forced a small smile. "I promise you."

Bakura sighed once more as Ryou continued to cry into his shirt, the inside of him swelling with pity. Bakura blinked heavily, suppressing a sneeze, and rested his head on the wall behind him, the two sitting there on the frozen concrete under the overhang. Bakura's gaze flicked to the world about them, snow falling harder than before, and it felt like the temperature was plummeting as more snow began to pile up. Bakura felt his body shaking, and so was Ryou, the cold gushes of wind swirling about, changing the direction of the heavily falling snowflakes.

_No matter what, I'll return what I've destroyed…_

Ryou whimpered, shuddering as another gust of wind lashed out, small flakes of snow collecting on his jacket. _Why? Why did this have to happen to me?! _Ryou mentally raged, sniffing. _…I…guess it could've been worse… I could be alone…_

Ryou looked up, sniffing again, seeing Bakura's bangs hiding his eyes, the previous smile now gone, flakes of snow gathering on the man's shirt, Bakura shivering madly. "…It's…all my fault…" Bakura whispered, "…Ryou…I'm so sorry…"

Tears swam in Ryou's eyes as Bakura went silent, the man fading away from the real world and into an exhausted sleep. Ryou sniffed again, his eyes reddened from crying. The teenager gave Bakura a saddened glance before moving just a little closer, straining to get warm, his skinny frame shaking madly as he placed his head against the wall, more hot tears going down his cheeks before he fell away and into the darkness of slumber.

* * *

Chapter 3: End.


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, two updates in one day...

Okay, now I don't have anything to say. -sweatdrops-

* * *

Bakura sneezed, groaning aloud; the previous tickle in the back of his throat had now developed into a full-blown cold. Ryou whimpered softly, moving a little closer. Bakura sighed deeply. He was _freezing. _His gaze flicked first to the area about him, everything covered in a blanket of white, and then down to Ryou. He could tell Ryou was slowly getting sick as well; the teenager's face a paler shade of white, shaking madly. Bakura groaned again, his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. _Ugh…_

Ryou whimpered again, his head rested in the cradle of his knees, shivering in the cold, the teen sniffling. "Hey, Ryou." Bakura said suddenly, the boy looking up at him slowly. Bakura changed his position, rummaging through his back pocket, "Here."

Ryou was immobile for a long moment, seeing the crumpled note held out to him between Bakura's fingers. He glanced up again, seeing a small smile on Bakura's lips, his eyes seeming to encourage him to take it. Ryou extended a pale, slim hand, slowly taking it from Bakura's long fingers. "B-Bakura…"

"Go buy yourself something. I know you're hungry." Bakura said simply, resting his head on the brick wall behind them. Truth be told, so was he. _But Ryou needs it more. _He thought, shutting his eyes and suppressing a sneeze.

Ryou sat there a minute, blinking. His gaze was focused on Bakura at first, and then down to the crumpled ten in his hand. _How did he-? _Ryou dismissed the thought, and stood, Bakura opening one eye and smiled slightly as Ryou scampered off.

* * *

_I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. _Bakura thought, sneezing again. He groaned, pressing his hands to his forehead, which was flushed and sweating, his entire body feeling weak and weighed down. He was so cold, and basically all the money he had come across he had forced Ryou to take…

Bakura closed his eyes as the streetlamps dimmed, Ryou already asleep, and shivering, pressed against Bakura. The man's eyes reopened at a voice. "I told you he'd still be here."

Bakura looked up, frowning at the two guys from a couple days ago, one of them having a bandage about his nose, apparently from Bakura's punch. "Look, just leave me alone." Bakura said simply, not in the mood.

"Why? You think we're just going to let you get away with that?!" The first one raged, grabbing Bakura's thin shirt collar and yanked him off the wooden bench and above the ground. Bakura grunted, the movement making his head spin. "Get the other one."

Bakura's eyes widened when the second one grabbed Ryou roughly, the teenager awakening in an instant, his eyes widening to the size of saucers, sending a glance to Bakura before struggling madly. "Put me down!" He screamed, but stopped as the man's fist collided with his jaw.

Bakura directed a kick into the man's leg, but it didn't seem to take an effect, Bakura's eyes widening in alarm as he was dragged down the concrete sidewalk before being thrown into a narrow alleyway, the albino slamming into a brick wall before sinking to the frozen ground, Ryou following suit, the teenager instead slamming into Bakura, the boy whimpering in pain. Bakura growled quietly, but there was a huge feeling of dread forming in his stomach. _How am I supposed to fight when I'm sick?! _Despite it, Bakura rose to his feet, helping Ryou stand as well, and took a firm stand in front of the teenager, arms spread protectively.

"Isn't that sweet?"

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura stumbled backwards, hearing a grunt of pain as he was punched. The teenager was frozen, his eyes wide with fear and shock, limbs numbed, merely watching in a fearful silence as Bakura was attacked.

Bakura was breathing heavily, still on his feet, and still standing in front of Ryou, unwilling to move. He felt blood ooze down his cheek, bruises already forming on his skinny frame, mostly on his face. He couldn't fight back, too exhausted from his cold. His eyes suddenly widened in alarm, "I'll show you what happens when you mess with us."

Ryou's eyes widened as well, seeing the glint of a knife in the dying light of the streetlamps. He felt his heart skip a beat as the man flung outwards, a sick noise sounding as the weapon was plunged into Bakura's side. As the object was plunged once more into his frame, Bakura collapsed onto his knees, hunched over in pain, clutching his wounded areas, blood oozing onto his fingers.

"And I'll end it."

Bakura gritted his teeth, his head bowed, awaiting the blow, and just as the knife came only inches from his back, it stopped as a voice rang into the alley. "What do you think you're doing?" The voice was cold and emotionless, and it seemed to bounce off the narrow walls of the alleyway.

The two males looked at each other before the first slipped the knife into his back pocket. "Nothing."

"That's what I thought. Now get out of here before I show you both what pain really is."

Ryou felt a gush of relief when the two fled, the teenager dropping to his knees, dropping his voice into a whisper. "B-Bakura…a-are you o-okay?"

The man silently shook his head, a curtain of white hair hiding his eyes, and fell over his face. His trembling hands were tightly clutching the area of his wounds, blood soaking through the now ripped shirt and onto his fingers, covering them with crimson, his entire body shaking crazily. Ryou heard a softer voice this time.

"What happened?"

"Humph, two of those guys were just here…the idiots from that gang down the street."

"Oh…" The voice directed itself into the alley where Bakura and Ryou were sitting, both of them shaking with cold, blood dripping onto the ground and getting all over Bakura's hands and clothes. "Hello?"

Ryou, far too shaken to answer, was mostly concerned about the growing amount of blood that was soaking through Bakura's shirt.

"Hey…are you guys okay?"

Ryou swallowed, too afraid to look up.

"Hey, we don't bite…what's the matter?"

Ryou still didn't answer, seeing Bakura slowly growing paler, shaking madly, and his stomach dropped. Unable to take it anymore, Ryou burst into tears.

"…Can you talk?"

Ryou nodded.

"Then why won't you? We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong…"

Ryou swallowed. "I-It's…it's…B-Bakura…"

"…Your friend there? What's wrong?"

The one with the more friendly voice came forward, and Ryou refused to look at him as he crouched down beside them. "What's-" His voice died in his throat at the sight of the blood, and instantly stood up, directing his attention to the other one. "They got him bad. He's bleeding pretty heavily."

Ryou finally allowed himself to look at the males, first looking at the one with the friendlier tone. He swallowed at the pair of worn, black leather boots, his eyes traveling up a pair of dark jeans before reaching a purple jacket, open, revealing a black shirt, a deep gray scarf wrapped about his neck. He was frowning deeply, his skin far darker than Ryou's, a mess of sandy blonde hair and lavender colored eyes, an earring in each ear. The other, also wearing the same kind of boots and a pair of jeans, though his were black, leading up to a shadowy purple jacket, darker than the first one, a black shirt on under it, a purple scarf about his throat, the same shade as his jacket. His expression was firm, a small frown, his eyes a dark, shadowed lavender, skin a shade darker than the first man's, his ears also pierced, giving way to a messier head of sandy blonde hair, but it was wilder, sticking up instead of lying flat like the other boy's.

Ryou's heart sank, a sick feeling overwhelming him as Bakura's hands fell away from his wounds, his head falling forward as he fainted, collapsing backwards, Ryou instantly catching him and hugging the male close, trying to keep him warm, and didn't care that blood was getting all over his jacket. "…H-Help h-him…p-please…" Ryou said in a barely heard whisper, tears falling from hurt, chocolate brown eyes.

"Fine." The colder one said, approaching Bakura and crouched down beside him. "Where is he hurt?"

Ryou pointed to the nasty gouge in Bakura's side, the other beneath his ribs. The man sighed, and pulled Bakura's shirt up, rummaging through the bag over his shoulder and pulled out a roll of bandages. "Just in case. You never know what'll happen, especially with all these gangs forming and whatnot…"

Ryou watched in silence as the man bandaged the wounds. "There. You're good to go." He said simply, and stood. Ryou's heart seemed to swell painfully, and he desperately grabbed hold of the friendlier one's jacket sleeve, staring up at him with desperate, hopeful eyes. "Please…please, don't go…" Ryou lowered his voice, more tears forming in his eyes. "Please…c-can't we go with you?"

"…Kid…we hate to break it to you, but we can barely look after ourselves."

Ryou lowered his gaze, his head bowed, and sniffed quietly as more hot tears raced down his cheeks. _I should've guessed. What made me think these people would be any different?_

The slightly shorter one lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't you think it would be a bad idea to leave them out here? Look at them…"

The other one sighed deeply. "…Fine, whatever. They can stay."

A smile spread across the other one's face, and he helped Ryou to his feet, the teenager still holding on to Bakura, the man leaning heavily against him. Ryou whimpered softly as Bakura was pried out of his arms. "We won't hurt him, I promise…"

Ryou lowered his gaze as the colder one hoisted Bakura off the ground, throwing him over his shoulder, Ryou slowly standing up, but his legs couldn't support his weight, and he instantly collapsed forward, shocked when the slightly shorter one caught him. "Hey, are you okay?"

Ryou nodded weakly, despite the fact that he was horribly tired and cold, his stomach empty, his head was hurting, and he was slowly getting sick.

"…Come on. You need some rest, I can tell."

Ryou's eyes widened further when the man pulled Ryou onto his back. "Do you have a name?" He asked, the two males heading back onto the sidewalk. Ryou's gaze was set firmly on Bakura, who was still unconscious on the other man's shoulder. "…O-Oh…um, I…I'm Ryou… A-And that's Bakura…" Ryou hesitated at first. "…Um, who are you?"

"Oh…I'm Malik, and that's Marik."

Ryou didn't answer.

"…Hey, Ryou. If you don't mind me asking…why were you two in that alley anyway?"

Ryou bit his bottom lip nervously, and didn't answer, lowering his gaze.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me. It's fine."

The silence settled in, and Ryou watched quietly as the two walked to the corner, going left instead of right, and eventually, they came to a rather large set of apartments. Marik led the way, the two climbing the stairs until they reached the third floor, the last door on the right. Marik frowned as he put the key in the lock, slamming hard against the door. "The stupid thing is stuck again…"

The room was shrouded in darkness, and the two didn't bother turning on the lights, but did turn on a lamp. Marik crossed the room and dumped Bakura on the couch, the man's head merely rolling to one side. Ryou was put down beside him, the boy trembling with cold and relaxed into the leather. "Here, let me get you some blankets…"

Ryou welcomed the warmth the blankets brought, and wrapped them tight about his skinny frame, laying down beside Bakura, his head resting on the arm of the sofa, curled up under the pile of blankets. Ryou closed his eyes, relishing the warmth and security, and instantly fell asleep.

Marik looked at Malik, the two standing in the kitchen, which was attached to the living room. "I don't see why you did it."

"Hey, you expected me to just leave them there? Bakura didn't even have a coat…he's probably sick." Malik muttered, rummaging through the refrigerator and pulling out a container of water.

Marik merely grunted, pulling off his boots before sinking into the armchair in the corner of the living room. "They can't stay here forever. We could barely get by as it was. So what makes you think we can get by now with four people in this house?"

Malik sighed deeply. "Look, I know. But maybe now that they have a place to stay they can actually manage to get jobs or something…"

"Humph. It'll be at least a week before that happens, if Bakura really is sick like you said…"

"Look, just give them some time, Marik. You can't rush things like this…"

"Whatever." Marik said simply, standing up and heading to the bedroom.

Malik allowed himself a small smile as he passed by the sofa, stopping for a minute to look at the two albinos before turning off the lamp and then heading down the hallway. "'Night, guys."

* * *

Chapter 4: End.


	5. Chapter 5

Wow. I'm so on a roll with this fic...

* * *

Bakura groaned loudly. Everything hurt terribly… He opened his eyes slowly as his dreams shattered into pieces, his vision slowly focusing on the white ceiling, and a frown crossed his lips. _Where…am I…? What…am I lying on? _He thought, the leather sofa feeling like a cloud to him, and finally, he was warm. His slim, pale hands felt around, finding a heavy pile of blankets over him, the man curled up on the couch, his head resting on a fluffy pillow that sat on the arm of the couch. Bakura sneezed, groaning quietly as he snuggled deeper under the blankets. He didn't know where he was, or how he got there, but at the moment, he didn't have a care in the world.

Ryou allowed himself a small smile, sitting in the armchair beside the couch, watching Bakura. The man's eyes fell shut again and he slowly fell back asleep, rolling over onto his side so that he was facing Ryou, curled up deep under the blankets, the objects pulled up to his neck. Ryou was currently the only one awake, although it was already ten-thirty on a Saturday. Ryou's gaze went to the hallway as he heard a door open, seeing Malik emerging, his hair a messy tangle from sleep, the blonde racing into the kitchen. "Is something wrong?" Ryou asked, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, I'm late!" Malik shouted as he darted back down the narrow hallway, using one hand to brush his hair and using his other hand to brush his teeth.

"…Hey…um…where's Marik?"

"He left a few hours ago." Malik called from the bathroom before rushing into the living room and pulling on his boots and coat. "I'll see you guys later." He said, going to the door, and stopped for a brief second. "Make sure Bakura gets some rest. There's food in the fridge and you can have a shower. The towels are in the closet, okay?"

Ryou nodded as Malik rushed out of the apartment, the blonde making sure to lock the door before he left. Ryou stood and walked over to the window, peering through the glass to see Malik clumsily racing down the staircase, almost falling as he slipped on the frozen sidewalk, and ran off, eventually disappearing from sight.

Ryou started down the hallway, peering into the bathroom, and went inside, shutting the door quietly. He looked about the small room, and found the handle to the closet, pulling out a blue towel before shutting the closet door and placed the towel on the counter, which was within reach of the bathtub. Ryou started the water, slowly pulling off his shirt.

-

Bakura groaned quietly, giving a growl of disgust when his peaceful slumber was broken. He sat up slowly, and gasped in pain as it shot through his abdomen. He lifted his shirt slightly, frowning at the bandages, and dropped his shirt. So where was he?

Bakura planted his feet on the floor, trying to stand up, but his legs refused to support his weight, and he collapsed back onto the soft leather couch. Bakura sneezed, groaning quietly, and sniffed, rubbing at his blocked nose. He slowly curled up in the corner of the sofa, wrapping the blankets about himself while resting his head against one of the cushions. He sneezed again, groaning once more quietly before burying his head into the soft cushion. His head was killing him, feeling like it was stuffed, and his limbs were heavy and numb.

"Bakura?"

The male looked up, seeing Ryou standing on the other side of the rickety coffee table, the teenager's hair a damp tangle, tinted lavender in the light. Bakura didn't say anything, lowering his gaze to the black leather of the couch.

"Hey…what's wrong?" Ryou asked, sitting down beside Bakura on the sofa. Bakura sniffed, drawing his legs up to his chest, his gaze downcast. "…Are you feeling bad?" Ryou asked in a soft voice, Bakura slowly nodding. Ryou sighed and stood. "Tell you what. I'll get you something to eat. It'll make you feel better, I promise."

Bakura looked up as Ryou stood, the teenager walking into the kitchen before searching through the cabinets, Bakura watching his every move. He could hear Ryou talking to himself in a quiet voice, placing a bowl in the microwave, and then continued to search through the small cabinets. Bakura frowned as Ryou pulled out a small container, hearing something inside of it rattling…

Ryou was smiling slightly as he came back into the living room, placing a bowl of soup into Bakura's slim hands, Bakura suppressing a sneeze. He glanced up at Ryou's voice. "Here. It'll make your head stop hurting." Bakura frowned at the two small pills he held out to him, but he took them from his outstretched hand anyway, along with the small glass of water Ryou held.

Ryou sunk into the armchair beside the sofa, relaxing into it. He felt so tired all of a sudden… He blinked as Bakura wolfed down the meal, apparently starving from barely eating a thing in the past week.

Bakura sneezed again, groaning quietly as he set the bowl down on the coffee table. He glanced over at Ryou, who was already drifting off to sleep. Bakura lowered his head back onto the pillow, snuggling deep under the pile of blankets and almost instantly fell asleep.

* * *

"Hey, I'm home…" Malik said as he opened the door to the small apartment and shut it behind him. While pulling off his boots he noticed the two albinos curled up on the furniture, sound asleep, and allowed a small smile and a light sigh. Crossing the room he went into the kitchen, starting up the stove. Rummaging through the cabinets he pulled out a pot before turning on the sink, filling it with water. He glanced at the two forms in the living room when he heard a groan, seeing Bakura stirring. 

Bakura opened his eyes slowly, his bleary vision focusing on the white ceiling once more. He sat up slowly, gritting his teeth as pain shot through his stomach. He took a small glance about, not noticing Malik in the kitchen, and found Ryou curled up in the armchair. Bakura sneezed, groaning quietly before removing the blankets from his body, and planted his feet on the hardwood floor, and managed to stand up. Everything ached…

"Hey." Malik said, Bakura's head snapping in his direction at the unfamiliar voice. Bakura froze, his hand resting on the arm of the couch to support himself as he stood there. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to hurt you."

Bakura swallowed, and did not move.

Malik smiled slightly and went back to the cooking, breaking a handful of noodles into the pot of hot water. "How're you feeling?"

"…I…I don't know…" Bakura stammered, lowering his gaze to the floor.

"…Do you know how long you've been asleep?"

Bakura glanced at the single clock hanging on the wall and frowned. It was nine o' clock at night… "…A…long time, I guess…"

Malik chuckled quietly. "Hey, you needed it." He paused, glancing up from his cooking to look at Bakura. "Are you hungry?"

Bakura nodded quickly.

"It'll be ready in a few minutes… You should wake Ryou up too and let him eat…"

Bakura did as he was told, walking over to where the teenager was sleeping and gently shook him, Ryou groaning quietly, but didn't awaken. "Ryou. Hey! Ryou…" Bakura muttered, shaking him a little harder. Ryou's eyes slowly opened, seeing the blurred figure of Bakura standing over him. His vision slowly cleared, seeing Bakura frowning down at him. "Finally…"

Ryou sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes. He still felt horribly tired… He glanced up at the clock and frowned. "…Hey, where's Marik?" Ryou called to Malik.

"…He works really long shifts, even on the weekends…" Malik sighed. "I mean this apartment is nice and everything but it isn't free…"

"…So you guys don't hang out much, do you?"

Malik shook his head. "We both work long hours…especially Marik. I think he's nocturnal…" He sighed deeply. "During the week and Saturday he gets up at like five in the morning and doesn't get home until ten…on Sunday he doesn't go in until noon but he doesn't get home until midnight… He works hard…he's usually really cranky on Mondays since he's out so late on Sunday…"

"What about you?"

"I don't work as much as Marik…during the week I go in at six-thirty and get home at seven…Saturdays I go in at ten and get home at nine…and Sunday I get the night shift, so I go in at midnight when Marik comes home and I usually get home at about five or six… And I hate it. I mean, my mom died and then my father was killed so now all I have is Marik, and it's like he's not even there since he's never around!" Malik sighed, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand as a crying sensation pushed its way in.

"…I understand. My mum and sister died in an accident and my father left for his job…he never called and I never saw him so it was like he was non-existent as well…"

"…Sorry…" Malik sighed again. "Anyway, the spaghetti is done…"

The two albinos gratefully took the plates they were offered, Malik sinking down in a chair, his eyes widening as they wolfed down the meal. Malik's gaze drifted first from Ryou, and then to Bakura. "…Is Bakura related to you?"

At that, Ryou froze in his gorging. It wasn't like he could just tell him that Bakura was his duplicate… "…Um…"

Bakura had stopped eating as well, but didn't look up or say anything.

"…W-Well…M-Malik…you have to promise you won't tell anybody…"

"Okay, okay, I promise."

Ryou took a breath, looking up at him. "…I…I used to work in a lab…a-and our boss…he needed a new project… T-They…used me as the subject…and created Bakura from me…although I've heard some rumors that during the process…t-the DNA was changed…so I don't really know if Bakura can really be called a clone…"

Malik's fork clattered to his plate as his mind began racing. _Wait… _"How long ago was that?"

"Not even a month ago. Why?"

Malik swallowed deeply, lavender eyes focused hard on Ryou. "…I…I used to work in a lab too. And our boss said the same thing…a-and I was used…"

"Marik was made from you?!" Ryou near shouted.

Malik nodded weakly, setting his barely touched plate of food down on the coffee table. "…And…I've heard rumors about Marik too…saying his DNA isn't the same as mine…"

Ryou's stomach dropped. How many places were doing this? "Malik…"

The blonde didn't answer, and merely picked his plate back up. Ryou swallowed, and went back to eating, silence settling in between the three.

Malik stood up a few minutes later. "I need to go get ready for bed. Help yourselves, okay?" He said as he crossed the room to put his plate in the sink before disappearing down the hallway.

Ryou glanced at Bakura and swallowed deeply. "…Is it just me…or is this whole duplicate situation getting weirder and weirder?"

Bakura didn't answer, the man standing up to get seconds and took Ryou's now empty plate from him.

Ryou sighed, curling up in the armchair. He felt so tired…

Bakura suppressed a sneeze as he came back to the leather couch, seeing Ryou falling asleep. _I don't know. But I have a feeling things are going to get even more strange…_

* * *

Chapter 5: End. 


	6. Chapter 6

Hello hello... Yes. I updated. Again. xD

As for how long this is going to be...I have no clue. So don't ask. xD

* * *

Bakura was still as he stood under the water in the shower, which was comfortably warm and refreshing, washing his long fluffy hair. He sneezed quietly, groaning. His cold had died away a little bit, the male slowly recovering, but it was still there. It hadn't even been three days since they arrived and Bakura already took it as home.

Ryou, wearing a set of blue pajamas glanced up as Bakura strode in his entire black outfit before flopping down on the couch. Ryou allowed a small smile to play across his lips, sighing lightly before reaching over towards the lamp. "'Night, Bakura."

Bakura didn't answer, drawing the blankets over himself before curling up on the couch. Ryou smiled in the darkness, curling up as well under the warm pile of blankets. The teenager almost instantly fell asleep, but Bakura's eyes remained open. His stomach, which was full of food, started churning as a certain anxiety made its way in. He had a bad feeling…

-

Ryou awoke with a start as the front door to the apartment slapped shut. He remained still, his eyes drifting to Bakura, but he was unable to see his face due to Bakura's back being to the world. He heard Marik's boots clunk against the hardwood floor as the male crossed the room. It was about ten minutes before Marik left, and Ryou watched as his shadowed figure went down the hallway. Being Sunday, Ryou guessed it was midnight.

Ryou gave a small sigh as he snuggled under the blankets, letting his eyes close, and was just about to fall asleep when he heard a voice. "You did _what?!"_

This time Bakura sat bolt upright and so did Ryou, their eyes wide in alarm. Bakura ripped back the blankets and stood up, walking towards the narrow hallway. Ryou's eyes widened even further and he scrambled to his feet, grabbing hold of Bakura's wrist. "Don't…"

Bakura shook his head, pulling his arm free. His stomach was still churning uncomfortably, and he continued down the hall with Ryou at his heels. The male stopped in front of the bedroom door, which had a small beam of light squeezing out from under it. Bakura grabbed hold of the handle, opening the door, which made a small creak as he did so, but the albino wasn't noticed. Ryou stood on tiptoe, looking over Bakura's shoulder.

Through the dim light in the bedroom they could see Marik first, his back to them, and then Malik, who was sitting upright in his bed. Malik lowered his gaze to the thin sheets on the bed, biting his lower lip. "I _told _you not to tell anybody!" Marik near exploded before sighing deeply, running a hand through his mess of blonde hair. "Look. There's a reason I didn't want anyone to find out. They won't understand and probably go tell someone and then it'll spread. Do you want to be classified as a test subject and a freak with a duplicate?"

Bakura looked at Ryou, who was staring wide-eyed into the bedroom.

"…B-But…they really do understand, Marik."

"How? How can they possibly understand this?!" Marik yelled, dark lavender eyes narrowing.

Malik swallowed and looked up slowly, and opened his mouth to speak, but froze as he spotted Bakura and Ryou in the doorway. "Guys…"

Marik turned on his heel, frowning at the two albinos.

"Hey, we just wanted to see if you guys were okay…" Bakura said.

"Other than the fact that I'm nothing but a lab rat created from Malik? Other than the fact that we can barely afford to keep this apartment?! You just don't get it. You don't understand!" Marik bellowed, Malik stiffening as the light bulb in the lamp exploded.

"But we do." Bakura said simply, his eyes widening as Marik grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him into the wall. "You're lying."

"No. I don't lie." Bakura said simply, calmly trying to pry away Marik's hands. "Look. I'm in the same situation as you. I…" Bakura lowered his gaze to the floor and his voice died to a whisper. "…I'm Ryou's duplicate."

Marik's hands slowly went limp as he released his hold on Bakura's shirt. "…What?"

"I was created from Ryou…" Bakura repeated, slowly looking up at Marik. "I told you. I understand."

Ryou, who had been silent all this time, slowly began to back away from the doorway. Bakura took notice instantly. "Ryou? Ryou, what's wrong?" Bakura's frown deepened when Ryou ran, Bakura quickly jerking out of Marik's grasp and ran after him. "Ryou, wait!"

Bakura frowned when Ryou tore open the apartment door, running out onto the main corridor, the wooden floor coated with ice. Bakura shut the apartment door behind him before running after Ryou, the albino running to the stairs. "Ryou!" Bakura yelled, grabbing hold of the teenager's arm as they got to the top of the stairs, Bakura slipping on the ice before falling down onto his rear, pulling Ryou down with him. The two were shivering, only wearing their pajamas and socks. "Ryou, what-" Bakura froze as Ryou almost instantly burst into tears. "Ryou?"

Malik and Marik gazed out from the apartment before looking at each other.

"Don't you get it?!" Ryou yelled suddenly, soft brown eyes spilling tears. Bakura, confused, slowly shook his head, his expression softening just slightly. His eyes widened in alarm as Ryou yanked his arm free, standing, and started to race down the stairs. Bakura's eyes narrowed slightly as he stood up. _Something is up. _He shook the thoughts away, finding Ryou getting close to the first floor. Bakura took a deep breath before running over to the railing.

Ryou looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening at the sight of Bakura seated on the frozen railing, sliding down it before jumping, landing silently on the frozen wood before racing over to Ryou, the teenager's eyes widening in alarm as he was tackled. Ryou whimpered, his back to the ice coated floorboards, Bakura sitting upon his legs at the knees and pinning his arms to his sides. "Why did you run?"

Ryou swallowed and looked away.

"I said why did you run!" Bakura yelled, his eyes narrowing.

Ryou swallowed again, and didn't answer. He was trembling with cold, and had stopped crying, although tears were still swimming in his eyes. Bakura's grip tightened on his arms. "Ryou. Look at me." When the teenager disobeyed, Ryou gasped as Bakura's grip tightened greatly, vice-like. "I said _look _at me, Ryou."

Ryou did so slowly, his chin trembling as he looked up into Bakura's eyes, the crimson tint bright in the little amount of light from the lamps hanging from the ceiling of the apartment walls. Ryou clamped his eyes shut, whimpering softly as Bakura's grip tightened even further. "_Ryou."_

"Bakura, please, get off of him." Malik said, him and Marik walking down the stairs before coming to a halt at the base. Bakura stared at them both before standing up, and Ryou slowly opened his eyes but only slightly. Malik came over beside him, helping the boy to his feet. "You okay?" Ryou silently nodded.

"Come on. You guys are going to get sick if you stay out here too long." Malik said, starting towards the stairs with Ryou behind him, followed by Marik. Bakura brought up the rear, but stayed a certain distance from the three, eyes narrowed, crimson tinted eyes seeming to glint in the little light.

* * *

Bakura was home alone that night. He glanced at the clock, seeing it getting close to ten, when Marik got home. Malik and Ryou were at the grocery store, since the fridge was getting low. Bakura didn't look up as the apartment door opened with a quiet creak, Malik and Ryou walking inside, each holding a plastic bag and set them down on the counter before pulling off their shoes. The timer on the stove beeped then, Malik rushing over to take out the chicken he placed in there before he left. Ryou wordlessly sat down in the armchair, his gaze focused on the floor. Malik gave them their plates, which Bakura accepted gratefully. He hadn't eaten anything at all that day. Ryou murmured a small thank you, not looking up.

Malik sat down across from them, a frown lingering on his lips. The two albinos ate in silence, not looking or speaking to each other. Malik's frown deepened when he realized the hadn't spoke since yesterday, during that incident at midnight…

"Hey, are you two okay?" He asked. Ryou stopped eating, and Bakura didn't bother to respond or look up, choosing to stuff his face instead. Ryou swallowed lightly, "…Yeah. We're fine."

No one said anything until after dinner.

Bakura stood up silently and placed his plate in the sink, Malik noticing he didn't take Ryou's with him like he normally did. Ryou stood to put his plate away, going towards the bathroom to get ready for bed. Malik, still frowning, went into the hallway, "Guys, I'm going to bed, okay?" He didn't receive a response.

Ryou, who had locked himself in the bathroom, started trembling before he sunk to the floor, on the verge of tears. It was about ten minutes before he managed to pull himself together.

Bakura finally looked up as Ryou came out of the bathroom, the teen walking over to the armchair and collapsed into it. "…We need to talk." Bakura said simply, brown eyes narrowed slightly. Ryou swallowed uncomfortably. "Look, Ryou. I want to know what was going on yesterday."

Ryou didn't answer, hands folded in his lap.

"Ryou!" Bakura yelled, now on his feet. Ryou grimaced as Bakura raised his voice, and said softly, "Please, Bakura…I…I don't want to talk about it…"

"Well I do!" Bakura stomped over to the armchair, placing a hand on his bony hip. "What's the big deal anyway?!"

"B-Bakura…please…I don't want to talk about it… I'm fine…"

"Quit lying to me!" Bakura bellowed, Ryou's eyes widening in alarm as Bakura grabbed hold of his shirt collar, yanking him roughly out of the chair, Ryou's legs dangling slightly above the floor. Ryou whimpered, his slender hands curling about Bakura's, desperately trying to pry them away. "What are you so afraid of telling me?!"

"…I…I…" Ryou stammered, his voice trembling. He swallowed uneasily at the rapidly brightening crimson tint in Bakura's eyes. "…P-Please B-Bakura…l-let me go…"

Ryou gave a yelp of shock and pain as Bakura slammed him up against the wall, Ryou whimpering as he tried harder to pry Bakura's hands away. "Then tell me! Why are you keeping so many things from me?! Is it because I don't deserve it? Because I'm a lab rat?" Bakura's grip was tightening with each sentence, his knuckles going white. Ryou was silent. "Well?!"

Ryou whimpered, shaking his head. "B-Bakura, it-it's not l-like t-that…"

"Then what?!"

Ryou swallowed deeply. "…I…I don't know…" He said in a whisper.

"…Lair." Bakura said simply, eyes narrowed to mere slits. "Tell me, Ryou!" He screamed, slamming Ryou further against the wall.

Ryou looked like he was on the verge of tears, but didn't speak.

"…It's because I'm different, isn't it? You're scared of how I'll take it. That I'll get out of control and make all the lights go out like last time. That I'll take it wrong or offensively." Bakura's eyes narrowed further as he dropped Ryou to the floor, the boy whimpering softly and looked up to see Bakura grab a jacket and put on his sneakers, pausing for only a second to speak over his shoulder. "…If you cared you would tell me, Ryou."

Ryou felt tears swimming in his eyes as Bakura opened the front door to the apartment, and walked out, slamming the door behind him. The teenager broke into tears only seconds after.

Bakura, still wearing his jeans and long-sleeved shirt from before, growled at the falling snow. He raised the collar of his jacket, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he jumped onto the frozen handrail, amazingly being able to slide down it on his feet instead of sitting down. He reached the bottom not even a minute later and jumped off, landing silently on the frozen sidewalk before walking away from the apartment complex. _Why? Why won't he tell me? What isn't he telling me? What is he keeping from me? …He doesn't care, does he?_

The wind started up, blowing against Bakura and stirred his mess of snow-white hair. Bakura growled low in his throat as the wind lashed at his face, and he wordlessly pulled up the hood on his jacket, pulling it over his head and low over his eyes, hiding them further from sight. He trudged down the frozen sidewalk, staring at the people going past, most of them with a partner, laughing or talking with each other. It made Bakura even angrier, and something, like sadness, was slowly overwhelming him. The man slowly walked over to the frozen steps of a building and sat down on the second one to the bottom, feeling the cold leaking through his jeans. He watched more and more people pass by him, and the anger melted away, replaced by a flood of anguish. _I don't have any friends. I don't know anything about this world. If anyone found out I'm just a messed up lab experiment, they'd probably label me as a freak…_

_And the person I was made from hates me._

Bakura felt his chest tighten, a wave of misery and sadness crashing over him. Bakura felt a slight amount of shock as a tear trickled down his cheek, and then another, and again. Bakura started crying then, tears racing down porcelain cheeks. The male buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as he cried, unnoticed by the people that passed by.

The snow was building up, and the wind was growing stronger by the minute. Mostly everyone had fled to their homes or jobs, and the very few people that remained hurried down the sidewalk to get out of the cold.

But Bakura didn't feel any of it.

_They just don't get it. They'll never understand. He hates me. Everyone hates me. I may as well just disappear…_

The albino pulled long, thin legs up to his chest, lowering his head to the safe cradle of his knees as he cried. He couldn't control it. He couldn't control the sadness or the feeling of isolation and loneliness, and soon a wave of tears was pouring down his cheeks, the droplets freezing in the cold. Soon the sidewalks were empty, and Bakura really was alone, sitting there on the steps, crying quietly, uncontrollably, waves of emotions he didn't understand building up and overflowing.

* * *

Chapter 6: End.

A/N: Awww. Poor 'Kura is getting depressed. D: Give 'Kura hugs, guys. And steak. 'Kura likes steak. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Yay, an update! ...Well, actually, I had this chapter done yesterday...I was gonna post it but I guess I wanted to give you guys a bit of suspense first. xD

* * *

Ryou was curled up in front of the window, watching through the foggy glass to look for Bakura. The man hadn't returned, and Ryou hadn't seen any sign of him ether, the teenager barely getting any sleep at all that night. Strangely, Malik hadn't even asked where Bakura was.

Ryou sighed. The ground was solid white, and it was still snowing, pretty hard too. The teenager slowly made his way over to the leather couch where Bakura slept, and flicked on the television, which, by the looks of it, had only a few channels, a small bar of light occasionally flickering across the screen. _It must be all they can afford… _Ryou thought, frowning as the news anchorman spoke. '…People are advised to stay indoors…expected blizzard…' Ryou sighed deeply, and turned the television off. He didn't want to think about it. If there was a blizzard happening soon, and with Bakura outside who knew where, what then?

Ryou jumped as the apartment door opened, Malik walking inside, covered in snow, followed by Marik, who looked irritated. "What are you two doing here?" Ryou asked as the two started to pull off their boots and coats. "The bosses made us go home. It's snowing pretty hard right now…"

Ryou swallowed deeply, his stomach a bundle of nerves. _Bakura…_

-

Bakura sneezed, sniffing. He stood under the overhang of a building for a minute, watching the snow come down harder. He was cold and hungry, tired as a result from staying awake near all night, and weak. And on top of it, he was lost. Bakura sneezed again, groaning quietly. It felt like his cold was coming back twice as hard…

The sidewalks were growing abandoned, the wind picking up as the snow began pouring, Bakura shuddering inside his thin jacket. He took off down the ice-coated sidewalk, running as fast as he could, the wind seeming to cut deep into his skin, blowing down his hood, and seemed to linger, making Bakura's snowy mane get kicked up, billowing out behind him as he ran.

Bakura yelped as rounded a corner, a hand instantly lashing out and seizing his throat. "Hey, kid. Didn't you hear that you're supposed to be staying indoors?"

"Get off of me!" Bakura bellowed, punching the man in the stomach full force, the grip loosening. Bakura tore away, growling low in his throat, and after punching the man as hard as he possibly could in the face, ran. His hand was throbbing, his knuckles bleeding slightly. Bakura kept up in a run until he was a few blocks away, and slowed his gait, panting slightly. The growing cold and snow felt like it was suffocating him…

Bakura dropped to his knees, a soft cry spilling from his lips. His gaze drifted up to the blank gray sky, snow pouring down. Bakura didn't feel the cold as snow started to pile on his unmoving form, his entire body numb from cold. It was well over five minutes before he moved, weakly standing upright, his entire body trembling. The sidewalks and roads were abandoned, wind kicking up as snow was shifted from its position. Bakura trudged down the sidewalk, his pace very slow. He rounded the corner silently and took only a few more steps before dropping to his knees and collapsed to the ground. His gaze once more drifted to the gray sky, snow coming down harder than ever before. Bakura's fingers twitched faintly as his hands were slowly getting buried in snow, the white flakes soon covering his back and legs, Bakura's hair getting an even whiter shade as it began to get covered with snow.

This time, Bakura didn't get up.

* * *

"Ryou, are you crazy?!"

"No. Bakura's been gone for over twenty-four hours, Malik. Something bad is happened to him, I know it." Ryou pushed away his crying sensation as he grabbed hold of the apartment door handle. "…I have to find him."

"Then let me go with you. It's really bad outside, and you're doomed if you go out there alone."

Ryou smiled and tore open the apartment door, a gust of wind and snow blowing in. The two quickly ran outside and shut the door, rushing down the stairs and onto the frozen, snow-covered sidewalk. Ryou grimaced as icy wind lashed at his face, howling in his ears, snow blinding his vision. "How are we supposed to find Bakura when we can't see a foot in front of us?" Malik yelled over the noise of the wind. _I don't know and I don't care. But I have to find Bakura._

Ryou took off down the street in a run, snow blinding him and wind seeming to cut his skin. Malik was right behind him, the two calling the man's name.

Five minutes. Ten. Twenty. Ryou felt his heart sinking. _Bakura, please…_

"BAKURA!" Ryou screamed, tears forming in his eyes. He dropped to his knees, a frown crossing Malik's lips, and pulled him back up. "Ryou, we have to keep looking. Come on."

Ryou choked back a sneeze, looking close to tears. The two began to wander, Ryou's hopes beginning to plummet. It was only seconds before something within him burst. "BAKURA!"

Ryou screamed the man's name as loud as he could, over and over again. He was in tears now, and he dropped to his knees, his shoulders shaking as he cried. _Please, Bakura. I'm sorry! I'M SORRY! Please, answer me… PLEASE!_

Something rang through him then. Like a sense…a pulse…

Malik's eyes widened when Ryou jumped to his feet, "This way." Ryou said, taking off in a sprint. Malik desperately chased after him.

The snow erased his vision, the wind blowing down Ryou's jacket hood and moving his hair, cutting into his skin. He could feel it strengthening; the sense was growing stronger and stronger…

Malik frowned when Ryou bolted across the street, Malik chasing after him. By the time the blonde caught up, Ryou was already on his hands and knees, digging through the snow and ice with his hands. Ryou's brow furrowed, his hands going numb as the cold and ice froze his fingers, making them stiffen. But he didn't care. He couldn't feel it. The pulse seemed to be screaming inside of him, shrieking to find him.

Malik's mouth fell open when he spotted a glimpse of a black jacket.

Ryou was going faster now, his hands paling further as he shoveled the snow away. There were tears in his eyes, close to falling, his heart racing. He was getting close now, half of a black jacket visible. Ryou grabbed hold of a sleeved arm, roughly pulling upwards, the rest of the snow falling away as he pulled the form up. Ryou felt his heart stop.

Bakura was limp in Ryou's arms, his skin looking close to blue, his mouth hanging open his slightly, eyes shut. What scared Ryou most was how Bakura wasn't shivering. He felt a slight amount of relief when he noticed Bakura's chest moving; up-down, up-down, although it was slow and barely moving up before it fell. Ryou felt himself cry again, hugging Bakura close. Ryou stood up, Bakura limp in his arms. Despite Bakura being far larger than Ryou, the teenager carried him, Ryou running off down the street with Bakura being held close in Ryou's arms.

It took a while, but the two finally made it back to the apartment. Ryou tore open the door and rushed inside, but before he could place Bakura on the couch, Malik spoke up. "Ryou…you can't warm him up when his clothes are soaking wet…"

Ryou swallowed uncomfortably. _I… _A blush formed on Ryou's face as he unzipped Bakura's jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Ryou felt his hands trembling as he reached for the man's shirt, his face heating up even further, turning a deep pink as he slowly pried Bakura's shirt off. Ryou was turning redder than ever, blushing furiously, and slowly pulled off Bakura's jeans. Ryou bowed in his head, his face a deep crimson. After a minute or so, Ryou managed to recompose himself, laying Bakura down on the couch, the man only wearing his boxers. Ryou wrapped the blankets tightly about Bakura's thin, muscular frame, before seating himself on the floor beside him.

Malik silently passed by, unnoticed by Ryou, who was staring hard at the man in front of him. The blonde lightly sighed before going down the hallway.

* * *

_Where…am I…?_

He was so cold it burned, and yet at the same time so horribly hot. Intense pain was flooding his body: even slightest movement made it near double. His body was weakened and heavy, unable to move, and he couldn't move or lift his head, nor could he open his eyes. His head felt like it was being pricked with thousands of hot needles, and his lungs hurt, feeling like they were being crushed, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst.

He could hear a noise… It was quiet, and he had to strain to hear it. He couldn't figure it out…

He racked his brain for the memories. He couldn't remember what had happened…

_And the person I was made from hates me._

It all came back then. Running, snowing harder and harder… Collapsing… After falling down in the snow, there was nothing else. The memories slammed right into a dead end, and there was nothing but darkness.

He strained to open his eyes. The effort made his entire body sear with pain, something inside of his head feeling like it exploded. A soft cry spilled from his lips. It hurt so _badly…_

He managed to open his eyes just slightly, finding the world about him nothing but a huge smudge. He gasped slightly as more pain shot through his body before burning into his skull, where it hurt most. He struggled to focus his vision, and managed to do so, frowning at the blur of white he saw. _What…? _His vision slowly focused, and Bakura frowned at the mess of white hair he first saw.

His gaze shifted, and stared Ryou down. The teenager's hair was tangled and messy, his clothes wrinkled and wet. His skin was paled further than usual, dark circles under closed eyes. His face was tear-stained, streaked with drying tears. The droplets were formed in the corners of his eyes, not falling, yet not going away. Ryou's head was resting on his arms, which were seated on the leather couch in a free spot near Bakura's stomach. His chest was moving up and down slowly, deep breathing emitting from a dreamless sleep. The boy was seated on the floor, sitting on his knees, the rest of his legs sprawled out behind him.

Bakura strained to roll over, but he couldn't, and the effort only made more sharp stabs of pain jolt through him. He let out another soft cry, and this time, Ryou moved at the sound. Bakura watched Ryou in silence as the boy slowly woke up, raising his head slowly and rubbed sleepily at his eyes. Ryou slowly looked in Bakura's direction, and froze, his mouth falling open as his eyes widened, seeing Bakura staring at him.

"…Y…You're…awake…" Ryou stammered. "You're _awake_." He repeated, starting to cry.

Bakura weakly tried to sit up, but only managed to prop himself up on his elbows. He gaze remained on Ryou, the boy sobbing now, tears streaking his face and spilling from soft brown eyes, shoulders shaking madly as he cried. Bakura stiffened, tensing as Ryou lashed out, capturing his body in a bone-crushing hug. Bakura gritted his teeth, the touch only making it hurt even more. He was about to try to pull away when Ryou spoke. "I'm sorry…I'm so _sorry… _I don't hate you, Bakura, really, I don't… Please…don't do that again. _Please, _Bakura… You don't know how worried I was…" Ryou desperately said, tightening his hug, his head leaning over Bakura's shoulder, shaking madly.

Bakura tried to relax, just a little, but the hug only made his body scream in agony.

Ryou quickly released Bakura, feeling how tense he was in his arms. "I-I'm sorry." He stammered quickly, lowering his gaze as he rubbed at his eyes with a slowly drying jacket sleeve. "…I…I shouldn't have done that…"

Bakura opened his mouth to speak, but Ryou stood up. "…I…I'll make you something to eat, o-okay?" Ryou said quickly, rushing over into the kitchen.

Bakura slowly looked down at himself. Blankets were piled over him, and he slowly pried them apart, frowning when he found himself only in his boxers. His gaze flew up to Ryou, who was rummaging through the fridge and cabinets. He could hear Ryou talking to himself, and the male strained to hear what he was saying.

"…It's all my fault…" Ryou whispered, rubbing once more at his eyes with his wet jacket sleeve. "I made him feel like that. It was my fault he ran away. It was my fault he almost got himself killed…" Ryou whimpered softly, wiping his eyes again. Ryou sighed, picking up the bowl of soup and carried it over to where Bakura sat, placing it in slim, pale hands. Ryou seated himself on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, his gaze lowered. "…I'm sorry, Bakura… I really am…"

Bakura swallowed deeply.

"…It…it's my fault. All of it… Everything was my fault. If I had just…just…" Ryou took a trembling breath, rubbing at his eyes again, which were red from crying. "…B-Basically…I…just wanted to tell you that I…I really do care, Bakura, even if you don't think I do… I know you probably hate me…a-and I can't really blame you. I…I understand…"

Bakura's mind was racing. What was he supposed to say? What _could _he say? "Ryou…it…it's not like that…"

"Of course it's not. You don't think I care, do you? Not that I can blame you on that either. Of course it doesn't look like I care! I let you go out there and almost let you get yourself killed!" Ryou yelled, and then lowered his gaze. "…I…I'm not fit to be your friend, am I…?"

Bakura swallowed deeply as Ryou stood up and fled to the bathroom. Something was rising into his stomach as he heard Ryou crying through the paper-thin walls. Guilt?

* * *

Chapter 7: End.

A/N: Aww. Now it's Ryou's turn to get upset. D:


	8. Chapter 8

Crumbs! D: Sorry it took so long to get this up guys, but you know with school starting back and stuff, stress, etc., I haven't had much fanfic time, but hopefully that will change soon!

* * *

Ryou wiped his eyes, which were red from crying, again with his jacket sleeve, which was soaked. He had lost track of how long it had been since he first locked himself in the bathroom, and he just now managed to stop crying. It hurt so _much…_

Hesitantly, he pried open the door, tiptoeing down the hallway and into the living room. Bakura's back was facing the world, Ryou thinking he was asleep. Ryou sighed deeply, before his eyes caught a deep blue book sitting on the counter, which he hadn't noticed until just now. He picked it up, seeing a post-it note on the front. _"Hey, Ryou. I know things are going a bit rough right now. If you want, you can write in this journal about everything. Trust me, it'll make you feel better. I don't like seeing you two so upset…_

_-Malik."_

Ryou bit his bottom lip before removing the sticky-note, crumpling it before throwing it in the trash. The teenager sighed before picking up a pen, silently crossing the room before sinking into the armchair. Drawing his legs up to his chest, he rested the book on his knees, before opening it to the first page, and wrote 'Ryou' in the front cover. He hesitated, but quickly scrawled down the date, his pen moving quickly across the pages as he wrote.

It seemed like hours before Ryou finished. He sighed deeply, his hand hurting terribly from all the writing. He attached the pen to the spine, turning off the lamp, clutching the journal as he fell asleep.

Bakura's eyes were open, the man staring blankly at the leather couch, his mind racing, his dark eyes glazed over.

* * *

Bakura bit his bottom lip hard. Ryou had been writing in that journal every chance he got, and sat there for at least an hour, scribbling his heart away. Truth be told, Bakura wanted to know what he was writing, and he wanted to know _badly. _The man stood up, and went over to the kitchen counter to where the innocent blue book stared up at him. With trembling fingers, Bakura opened it, his eyes reading over the neat, black handwriting.

"_Hi. Well, I guess I can call this my first journal entry… Thanks to Malik, I now have something to write in. There…are some things I want to talk about. Malik says that it'll make me feel better if I write about them…_

_Well…Bakura is my duplicate. I used to work in a lab, and was eventually, I was used as a test subject… But…there have been rumors…that Bakura and I aren't even the same people. They say the DNA has been altered too much, so we're not the same people anymore… But anyway…Bakura…he's…he's basically my best friend. My only friend… I mean, I live in the same apartment as Malik and Marik, but we're not that close, you know? …But, that's not my point. I've never had any friends, so when Bakura came along, you know, I was so happy about it… But…it's all falling apart right in front of my face…_

_I'm trying to take care of him and everything…but then when I wouldn't tell him something, he exploded, and said I didn't care about him… He said if I cared I would tell him everything… Why can't he just understand I can't? It's not like he'll understand, anyway… And if he cared about me, then why did he slam me into the wall like that? …It's not fair…_

_I…I don't know what to do anymore… I mean…it's hurting so bad…and I can't figure out how to tell him. We haven't spoken normally in a long time… It's…like I'm afraid of how he'll take things. I don't think he'll understand… It's like…like I can't find the words to explain how I feel. Like I don't have the guts to say anything to his face…_

…_I…I told him I was sorry…but it…it just isn't enough, is it? He probably hates me… And after that fight, he ran off…and almost died in that blizzard… I tried to prove I cared by saving him… But…it just…still doesn't feel like it's enough…_

_Anyway…I guess…I guess I'll work on this tomorrow…"_

Bakura frowned, noticing tear stains on the pure, blue pages of the journal. His brow furrowed as millions of thoughts ran into his mind, but he quickly closed the journal and fled to the couch, resting his head on a couch cushion as he heard the bathroom door opening. Bakura sneezed, sniffling, and rubbed at his blocked nose. He knew he was getting sick: ever since he was caught in that blizzard, he felt horrible…

Ryou emerged, in his pajamas, his hair a damp tangle of white with lavender tint. He glanced at Bakura briefly before lowering his gaze sadly, and silently, went to pour himself a glass of water.

Bakura looked up from his cushion that his head was buried in, and watched Ryou in silence. He felt his stomach swirling with guilt, the lines from the teenager's diary echoing in his brain. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, unsure of what to say. _Why does it bother me how he looks so sad?_

The tears were pulsing in his eyes now, blurring his vision, but he held them back. Ryou sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, taking a trembling breath. The teenager crossed the room, and went to the door, pulling on his coat.

"Where're you going?" Bakura asked, frowning.

"Out. Besides, why does it matter to you where I'm headed?" Ryou asked.

Ryou's eyes widened in alarm as Bakura jumped up from his place on the couch before grabbing his forearms, slamming the teenager up against the wall. Bakura's eyes narrowed down as his fingers tightened on the teen's arms. "What's the matter with you?!" Bakura screamed, his eyes narrowed in fury. "Quit moping around and just tell me what the problem is already!" He snarled, his face only a couple inches from Ryou's own.

"Everything is the problem, okay?!" Ryou yelled back. He was trembling, his hands clenched at his sides. "This is all my fault! All of it! I was the one who made you feel the way you did, I was the one who let you run out into that blizzard, and I was the one that almost let you get yourself killed!" Ryou screamed at the top of his lungs, tears burning in his eyes.

Bakura didn't say anything, but his grip loosened just a little on Ryou's arms.

"And things are only getting worse! There are probably more people with clones that you know, and there's something weird going on, I know there is! Why else did the lights go off like they did? My life is all screwed up and now we're messing up Malik and Marik's life too! We're only making things harder for them! And…and…" Ryou, who had just spilled almost everything, started crying before sinking to the floor.

Bakura stood there for a minute before crouching down to meet Ryou's gaze. "Ryou…I…" He stammered, placing his hands on Ryou's shoulders. The teen tore away almost instantly. "D-Don't t-touch me…"

"But, Ryou-" Bakura started, reaching out with a slender hand. Ryou smacked it away, tears swimming in his eyes. "I said _don't touch me."_

"_Ryou." _Bakura said sternly, grabbing hold of the teen's wrist. Ryou squirmed in his grip, "Let go!" He yelled, snapping his hand away. Bakura's eyes widened in alarm as Ryou's hand collided with his cheek. Ryou pulled his hand away slowly as Bakura's hand went to the mark on his cheek from Ryou's slap, his eyes seeming to flash in anger, Ryou's eyes widening in realization of what he had just done.

"I'm only trying to _help you!" _Bakura bellowed, pushing Ryou so that his back was up against the floor, Bakura's fingers holding tight onto his forearms until his knuckles turned white. "So why won't you just give me a chance?! Why won't you let me in so I can help?!"

"It's not like that!" Ryou screamed back, his own eyes narrowing.

"Then what?! What's making it so difficult to just tell me?!" Bakura raged, his eyes looking close to black in a fit of rage.

"You don't understand! You just don't understand it!" Ryou yelled, tears swelling up in his eyes. "So quit acting like you understand when you _don't!"_

"How do you expect me to understand when you won't tell me anything?! When you won't let me in, not even a little bit?! If you just told me what was going on, maybe-"

"Everything! Everything is, okay?! Something happened during that cloning process that's making the lights go off when you get angry! We're homeless and jobless and you're probably still sick, and we're just ruining Malik and Marik's lives too! It's not like they can keep affording to feed us like this! And even if we did manage to somehow get jobs, it's not like we can keep secrets from them forever! And-" Ryou's eyes widened in alarm as Bakura placed his hand firmly over Ryou's mouth, silencing him, tears swimming in Ryou's eyes.

"…Okay. I know you're upset. I know the basics already. But I want to help you. Hopefully we can get some papers soon and we can get jobs ourselves, so then we can help Malik and Marik out. Trust me, Ryou, things will get better from what you said…" He said before removing his hand. "Just because the DNA was altered doesn't mean anything… I know it's hard adjusting to things like this, but things will work out eventually…"

"…You read my journal…didn't you?" Ryou asked without looking up.

Bakura stiffened. "…I…I wasn't…I-I didn't try to-" He stammered, knowing he had walked right into another argument.

"_Why?" _Ryou asked, tears glistening with tears. "You expect me to trust you and let you in, but how can I do that when my privacy is being destroyed, when nobody even understands me?! When my future is currently at a dead end because of my past? When the only friend I have is my own clone?!" Ryou screamed at the top of his lungs, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks. "You don't have any idea what's it like to be me, Bakura! You don't have _any idea! _It was so hard to get by as it was, and having to stoop so low as to get myself processed like that… Having the rest of the lab workers look at you like you're nothing more than a rat, like you're a freak, like you're not even human anymore… When your mother and sister die and your father isn't even at their funeral… When you have to keep your entire life a secret from the rest of society… When you sit there at night scared to death to even breathe, questioning your purpose, wondering what's awaiting you… Having your dreams plagued by nothing but nightmares, night after night… Y…You'll never understand…" Ryou's voice lowered down to a soft murmur, the albino pulling the hood of his jacket over his head, hiding his eyes a little from view, his tears almost streaming down his face now.

Bakura bit his lip for a minute, guilt and pity slamming around inside of him, Ryou's shoulders shaking as he cried. The man sighed deeply, reaching for his arm, "Ryou…"

"Just leave me alone." Ryou said simply before standing up and fled to the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Bakura sighed once more before dragging himself to his feet and walked towards the bathroom, pressing his ear to the door to hear Ryou's cries. He heard the teen sink to the floor, and felt it as Ryou bumped his head against the door.

"Go away." Ryou muttered through the door, wiping his reddened eyes with his jacket sleeve. More hot tears cascaded down his cheeks as he heard Bakura leave, the teenager sniffling, pulling his legs up to his chest, lowering his head onto his knees. He whimpered softly, his emotions swelling, a complete feeling of loneliness and being misunderstood piling up slowly. And in the back of his mind the thoughts were racing about every little thing…

* * *

Chapter 8: End.


	9. Chapter 9

Yeah, so, sorry for the slow update. -sweatdrop- Well, at first I had a writer's block, and then I changed the beginning of the chapter from my orginal idea... But now everything is straightened out! Yay. :D

* * *

"Ryou, please, talk to me." Bakura said, crouching down to meet Ryou's eyes, the teenager curled up in the armchair. Ryou looked away almost instantly, legs brought up to his chest. Bakura growled quietly, "Look, it's been two days already. Why won't you just get over yourself?!"

Ryou didn't answer, his head buried in a couch cushion that was resting on his knees.

Bakura growled as he stood up, stomping into the hallway before turning the small of the corner where he couldn't be seen, and put his head against the wall. Exhaling deeply he closed his eyes, leaning heavily against the wall.

"So how is he?" Malik asked, popping his head out of the bathroom to face Bakura. The blonde had found out the day before, considering how much the two albinos were yelling, and Bakura was forced to explain.

"…Not so good." Bakura grumbled, sinking to the floor. "…I don't know what to do. He won't even speak to me anymore… All he does is sit there or sleep…he hasn't even eaten since we started fighting…"

"Did you apologize?"

"Yes…millions of times, already. He just acts like he doesn't hear me." Bakura clamped his eyes shut, clenching his teeth together before easing his eyes open. "…And I hate it…"

"Well…you have to be patient and gentle with someone like Ryou. He's gone through a lot, you know. It'll probably take him a while…"

Bakura sighed. "I know… But I…I don't like it when he acts like this…"

Ryou silently stood before walking over to the apartment door, tugging on his coat and shoes before exiting the room silently. Bakura poked his head about the corner as he heard the door close. The man stood up, quickly going to the door before tugging on his jacket and sneakers before following Ryou outside.

"Ryou! Ryou, wait up!" Bakura yelled, sprinting down the ice-coated sidewalk in order to catch up to the teenager.

Ryou didn't look at him, and merely stared at the sidewalk, hands tucked in his jacket pockets. His cheeks were turning pink quickly from the icy wind lashing at his skin

"Hey. I want to talk to you." Bakura said instantly, grabbing Ryou's arm.

Ryou let out a small noise, yanking his arm free of Bakura's grip and looked away. "…I…don't want to talk to you, though."

Bakura's eyes narrowed, but he bit his tongue instead, and sighed lightly. "Look, I know you're still upset-"

"You'd better believe I'm still upset!" Ryou screamed, taking off in a run. Bakura desperately ran after him, hair fluttering behind him in the wind. "Ryou, wait!"

The teenager growled quietly as Bakura caught hold of his arm once again. "Quit it!" Ryou yelled, pulling away. "Look…just…just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."

"But I want to talk to you! I keep telling you I'm sorry! What do I have to do to prove that to you and get it through your thick skull I really mean it?!"

Ryou didn't answer.

"Being there for you the last few weeks, putting you first, protecting you…none of that matters right now?!" Bakura screamed, eyes narrowing further. His fists were shaking now in rage. "Maybe I should just leave then! Maybe then you'll be happy!" He yelled, turning on his heel ands started to walk away, but Ryou caught hold of his jacket sleeve.

"I don't…want you to leave, Bakura."

"Make up your mind!" Bakura yelled, his eyes flashing as his teeth clenched together. "You don't want to talk to me. You won't look at me, you won't speak to me, you won't eat, but when I threaten to leave, then you panic. You take me for granted, Ryou, thinking I'll always be here. But maybe I should change that. One day, Ryou. One day you'll see. I try to help you, and you turn away. But when I'm not there, there won't be anyone else around. You'll be alone."

Ryou's hand released Bakura's arm as the man tore away, storming off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. There were tears swimming in Ryou's eyes as Bakura slowly disappeared from sight.

-

"Stupid…" Bakura muttered, a gush of cold wind lashing at his skin. He ignored it, eyes narrowed down to slits, raging down the narrow sidewalk and further past the set of apartments. He cursed under his breath, fists trembling inside his jacket pockets.

_I should just leave. I'd be so much easier…wouldn't it? Like he said, I wouldn't be making things as hard for Marik and Malik… And if Ryou doesn't want me to be around, or continues to look away, then fine. I can do the same._

Bakura continued walking down the sidewalk, staring at it, not paying attention to the world about him any longer.

_Maybe then he'll understand. I'm not there to be pushed around and used. I wanted to help him, but if he's just going to ignore me and just ignore my tries, then fine. I don't care. I'm just a lab rat anyway, why should I matter? Of course my opinions and thoughts don't matter. I'm just some stupid, messed up lab experiment that went berserk. I'm a freak…_

Bakura didn't notice how the sidewalk turned to pavement. _Not that Ryou cares anymore. He'd probably be glad to get rid of me… I'm probably ruining his outlook too, making him look like a freak as well… He hates me, just like everyone else… They probably wouldn't care if I disappeared…_

Bakura's head snapped up as he heard an unfamiliar sound, and felt something overpowering collide with his body. He crumpled to the pavement in a heap, a ribbon of blood showing on the snow sprinkled road. He gasped lightly in pain as his entire body began to ache, although his ribs hurt worst of all. He heard a few yells before his eyes fluttered shut and the world went black.

* * *

"Hey, Ryou, where's Bakura?"

Ryou shrugged lightly, changing the channel of the television to the news. "I…don't know. We…kind of got into another argument and he ran…off…" Ryou stopped instantly, the tiny, plastic remote slipping out of his fingers and fell to the floor. The teenager was staring wide-eyed at the T.V.

"What is it?" Malik asked, peering over Ryou's shoulder. His stomach dropped instantly.

"B…Bakura!" Ryou screamed, jumping to his feet at the sight of the white haired man, blood showing through his jacket. There was a slight visible difference in his chest, and his leg was bent at an awkward angle as the unconscious male was hauled up in someone's arms before being carried off the road.

There were tears swimming in Ryou's chocolate colored eyes as he stared at the television, watching Bakura get placed in one of those all-too-familiar ambulances, which was parked next to a police car. Ryou whimpered as he noticed how limp Bakura was, hair falling over his eyes. The teenager started to cry, the past argument flowing into the back of his mind. _"You always take me for granted, Ryou."_

"…Ryou? Are…you okay?"

The teenager shook his head, tears cascading down his cheeks now as he let out a small whimper. "…It…it's all my fault…"

"Ryou-"

"…I-I have t-to go." Ryou said simply, slipping on his shoes and bolted out the door with Malik scrambling to go after him.

* * *

Ryou's eyes swelled up with tears the instant he entered the registered hospital room. Bakura was lying in a pure white bed, the sheets drawn up to his chest, where his arms then draped across the sheets on top of them. Ryou felt sick at the slight bulge on Bakura's chest, which was as he guessed, was the tip of a rib sticking against his torso. There was a bandage tied about his head, underneath his front bangs and across the rest of his head where it tied in the back. Ryou noticed how Bakura's leg was tilted uphill just slightly, stiff as a board. The male was breathing hard, as if having difficult time breathing. His neck was decorated with sweat. The window close to Bakura's bed was closed, although the curtains were open. A small bottle of pills was lying on the table in the corner, way out of reach, and Ryou's heart sank at the pair of crutches in one corner of the room.

"Ryou…" Malik said softly as Ryou started to cry again, burying his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking terribly.

"I-It's a-all m-my fault…" Ryou stammered between sobs. "H-He g-got hit b-by a car a-and it's a-all my fault…"

Malik sighed as he led the crying teenager into the white hallway, forcing him gently to sit down in a chair, his hands on Ryou's shoulders. "Ryou, it's not your fault, okay? I think…" He bit his lip hesitantly. "I think we should leave. You should get some sleep…"

"B-But I c-can't j-just leave h-him h-here…" Ryou stammered, face still buried in his hands.

"Ryou, he'll still be here. Besides, the doctors probably still need to check up on him and everything. They'll probably have some news for you tomorrow."

Ryou sniffled, lowering his hands from his face. "…O…Okay." He said quietly, defeated. "J…Just give me a second."

The teenager walked quietly back into Bakura's room, tears swelling in his eyes as he stared at the man. Bakura's breathing remained hard, his chest moving just slightly, that slight hill upon his chest making Ryou's anguish grow. "…I…I'm so sorry, Bakura… I…I'm sorry… I…I promise I'll make it up to you…somehow… But I promise that I'll make it up to you, no matter what…"

Ryou fiddled with the zipper on his jacket, staring at the floor. He swallowed as he raised his gaze to look at Bakura's face. "…Y…You didn't deserve this… You were only trying to help me, but I was just too stubborn to listen to you…"

More hot tears ran down Ryou's pale cheeks. Ryou clamped his eyes shut for a minute as he gave a small hiccup, and then reopened them, his vision bleary. "I…I'm so sorry, Bakura…"

Glancing at the clock that hung on the wall, along with the date, a small idea ran into Ryou's mind. He glanced back down at the motionless form of his look-alike, his hand briefly resting on Bakura's shoulder. "…I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" Ryou said before slowly tearing himself away and went back into the hallway, sniffing.

Malik led the way down the narrow corridor, and Ryou merely followed, staring at the white tiled floor with an occasional different colored tile set down. _I promise I'll make it up to you, Bakura…_

Ryou's fingers clenched as he walked out of the hospital and onto the snow covered sidewalk. He couldn't look at the road or the children that ran past him laughing with their parents chasing after them, or the old alleyway where he and Bakura used to sit by, and they eventually passed that bench that they took for that one long, cold week. Ryou glanced at it briefly before tears trickled down his cheeks before freezing in the dreadful cold.

The two eventually made their way back to the apartment. Ryou tore of his jacket and shoes, collapsing instantly onto the couch, covering himself with the pile of blankets that Bakura used every night. Ryou whimpered as Malik left the room, Ryou pulling the blankets high over his shoulders and tight about his trembling frame. He started to tremble as more tears poured down his face, the teenager curling up on the couch in pure misery.

* * *

Chapter 9: End.

A/N: Oh noes. D: Poor 'Kura indeed...


	10. Chapter 10

Intense pain skyrocketed up his chest and through his leg. He couldn't find the strength to move, although he managed to slightly open his eyes, just enough so that he got a glimpse of the white ceiling above him. His eyes slammed shut milliseconds afterwards. He found that he had trouble breathing, and his chest hurt so badly… Easing his eyes open slowly, his vision blurry, he stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes before closing his eyes again, resting.

Slowly he opened his eyes again, whimpering as he shifted his position, a major flood of pain flowing into his body. He lifted a shaking hand and tried to run it through his hair but froze as his fingers came in contact with the bandage about his head. _What…happened to me…?_

Bakura ran a quaking hand down his chest, remembering how his ribs were hurting previously, but now they hurt more than ever. He froze at the slight bulge in his chest, and felt sick instantly. His leg hurt as well, really bad. He couldn't even move it. His head hurt, and everything ached…

"…Bakura…?" A quiet, timid voice called out.

Bakura whimpered in pain as he weakly turned his head, his blurry vision focusing on the figure that sat close to his bed. His eyes slowly focused, and the instant he realized who was there, his lips turned into a frown, a major feeling of anger forming in his stomach.

Ryou blinked down at the man, his expression soft. He stiffened as Bakura glared at him and weakly turned his head away, looking out of the window instead. Ryou fidgeted, unable to keep still, the silence between them unbearable.

"…Why…did…you come?" Bakura asked, clenching his teeth in pain. Even speaking made his chest hurt even more than it already did…

"…I…I've been worried about you… You've been out for four days already… I…I wanted to-"

"So what?" Bakura growled, his eyes narrowing at the window. "…You…don't care…about me… Just…leave me alone…" Bakura muttered, closing his eyes.

Ryou sighed quietly, reaching out with a slender hand and placed it on Bakura's shoulder, the man stiffening. "…Look…I know I've been a jerk, and you're probably still mad at me, but… But I want to make it up to you…" Ryou said quietly, his eyes falling to the bag that sat at his feet.

Bakura snorted. "…You're…just trying…to soften me up…aren't you?"

"No." Ryou said simply, Bakura's eyes widening in alarm as Ryou gently helped him sit up, Bakura whimpering loudly in pain, choking back a scream. It hurt so _much, _and just the slightest movement made it a thousand times worse… He was panting by the time he was upright, feeling as if he was being ripped in two… His spine was resting against the pillows and he put his head against the wall behind him, breathing hard, although this hurt his chest…

Ryou flushed slightly as he picked up the red bag and placed it in his lap. He noticed Bakura staring at it through the corner of his eye. Ryou looked Bakura in the eyes, "Do you know what today is?"

Bakura frowned and slowly shook his head.

"February the fourteenth…" Ryou whispered before hefting the bag up and placed it on the bed upon Bakura's lap. "…I…just wanted to give you something. But…I should go…I'll…see you later…" Ryou muttered, bangs hiding his eyes, which were swimming with tears. The teenager quickly fled from the room and out into the hallway where he disappeared from sight.

Bakura frowned as he glanced down at the package resting on his lap, and although his arms hurt, fished through the bag and pulled out a box, wrapped with red paper and tied with a black ribbon, about the size of a sheet of paper. Bakura frowned, confused at the package in his hands. He untied the ribbon first, confused as it crumpled onto the sheets. Bakura tore away the paper, and pulled up the lid, confused even more at what was inside. He took out the neatly folded note first, and opened it all the way, reading Ryou's small, neat handwriting.

"_Hi, Bakura. It's Ryou. I'm hoping I can give this to you on time, considering after what happened… Look, I'm really, really sorry… You didn't deserve that, you really didn't. You were only trying to prove you were sorry, but I didn't listen. I could've gotten you killed Bakura… But…but I can't take it back. It…seems like all I do is make mistakes…I can't do anything right…_

_But…it's not about me right now._

_Anyway, I know you don't know anything about holidays, but February fourteenth…its called Valentine's Day. And…there's something I want to give you."_

Bakura blinked as the note ended, and glanced back down inside the little box. Inside were three beautiful roses, each a different color. Bakura picked them up, luckily, the thorns being removed. Bakura frowned at the little card taped to the red rose, and pried it off.

"_I know it doesn't look like much. But…I know you're hurt. I know you're probably upset and still really angry with me. I'm sorry. I really am. And maybe…the flowers will cheer you up a little. Look, I'm not saying you have to keep them. But I just thought it would let you know…I really do care, and I'm sorry."_

Bakura sighed deeply before weakly reaching across and managed to slip the flowers into the vase on his side table, next to his bed. Bakura sank down under the covers, gasping loudly in pain and as soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep.

* * *

Bakura whimpered as he planted his feet on the floor the next morning. The pain was still bad, but not as strong, and he was terribly weak. He gasped as pain flooded up his leg and chest, the bed slanted slightly from his weight. Bakura gritted his teeth together and shakily stood up, his right leg twitching, and the man winced in pain. Bakura glanced down at his leg, which was in a solid white cast. Bakura grunted as he placed the crutches under his arms, stiffening at how it felt. It was so strange…

Going out into the hallway, Bakura winced as pain flooded his chest, and he was soon breathing heavily, the slight bulge on his chest still visible. He let out a strangled cry as he stumbled, taking a few steps forward, and clamped his eyes shut, sure he was going to fall, but froze as he felt a pair of arms wrap about him, the person catching him instantly.

"Bakura?"

The man swallowed deeply as he looked up from the cradle of black-sleeved arms to see Ryou looking down at him, keeping his arms set about Bakura, supporting him. Bakura instantly looked away, a light blush tainting his cheeks. "I…I'm fine." He muttered as Ryou picked up the fallen crutches, and Bakura pulled away, leaning heavily upon them once they were back in his possession.

"…I…guess you're not quite used to them yet." Ryou stammered, looking at the floor and fiddling with the hem of his jacket.

Bakura didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at the wall.

"…I…was going to come see you, but… Hey, I'm just glad you're able to move around now…"

"…I broke my leg and got a few of my ribs fractured…" Bakura said quietly. "…They…said I hit my head…and from what they told me…there used to be this gash back there…" Bakura whispered, rubbing the back of his still sore skull, remembering how he had awoke with a bandage about his forehead.

"Bakura, I'm so sorry… It's all my fault…" Ryou blurted out, his eyes widening when Bakura lashed out, grabbing his chin in a slender hand. He was even more shocked when a small smile broke out across Bakura's lips. "…Quit it. Besides, I got your gift. It's enough…to prove that you're sorry, okay?"

Ryou smiled slightly as Bakura removed his hand, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "R-Right. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. Jeez, you're too…too…" Bakura merely waved his hand around, not able to think of a word, and let out a grunt of pain as he continued down the hallway. The crutches were already hurting, and swinging down the hallway on one leg wasn't the best thing either. Ryou was silent as he walked beside Bakura, the man swinging himself down the hallway on his crutches, arm muscles visibly tensing. "…Um…how long…do you have to stay here?"

"…I…don't know." Bakura admitted between gasps of breath, his chest heaving. It was hard to breathe, and the excess work made it harder. "…H…How long…do you think…I can afford…to stay?"

Ryou swallowed deeply. _I forgot…you have to pay for doctor visits and things like that… Oh man. And Bakura really needs it, but I don't know if he can stay for as long as he needs to…_

"B…Bakura…I…I need to go. I'm really sorry, but…I need to take care of something…"

Bakura glanced at him, chest rising and falling sharply. "But…"

"I…I'll be back tomorrow. I promise." Ryou stated before going down the hallway, and Bakura just stood there as he watched Ryou disappear through the doors, feeling a bit of abandonment.

* * *

Ryou let out a long moan as he collapsed onto the soft, leather couch. He was so tired… He had gone with Malik to his job, which was strangely, working at the bar down the street, but during the day mostly. Ryou, who had gone into training the same day, merely followed Malik around and tried to get used to it, knowing his first day on the job would be tomorrow morning. He let his eyes close, but they flashed open instantly. _Oh man…I forgot to go see Bakura!_

-

Bakura was silent as he stared out of the window in his room, seated on the edge of his bed. His eyes were narrowed slightly, seeing the world outside go pitch black, and Ryou hadn't shown up like he said he would. Bakura clenched his teeth in annoyance, although it made him upset, and clambered into bed. He flicked off the lights and silently turned on the television, turning the sound down on low and merely watched the screen for a few minutes. He got tired of it quickly and turned the television off, discarding the remote on the table beside his bed, next to the little box he had kept, that had contained his Valentine's Day roses. A small flash of sadness entered his eyes as he picked up the box and stared down at it before holding it against his chest, the silence, loneliness, and anguish inside of him quickly growing.

-

Ryou was panting as he tore down the halls of the hospital, coming to a screeching halt at Bakura's registered room door. He crept inside, seeing the lights off, bathing the room in darkness. However, the curtains were open, rays of moonlight pouring over the floor and the bed where Bakura was laying.

Ryou crept over to the bed, looking at the man for a long minute. His face was a ghostly white from the moonlight pouring over him, making his hair a deeper shade of white, which cascaded down his back and fell mostly over his eyes. His eyes were closed, a small frown printed on his face, although he looked relaxed for once. He was curled up on his side, and what hurt Ryou most, was how Bakura was clutching the small, red box up against his chest in his sleep. Ryou placed his hand on it, trying to pry it out of Bakura's long, thin fingers, but the white haired man only whimpered and tightened his grip on the box as if it was the only thing he had left.

"…I'm sorry…" Ryou whispered, placing a pale, slim hand on Bakura's shoulder, the albino whimpering softly in pain. "…But…I have to work. I can't just keep screwing things up for Malik and Marik, and then maybe if I get enough money we can actually do something with our lives… Besides, it's not like I can force Malik into paying the bills… This was my fault anyway…" He removed his hand and sighed, wrapping his arms about Bakura in a small hug before pulling away and walking over to the door. "I promise I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Ryou said as he left the room.

Bakura slept through the night, all the while clutching that small red box up against his chest.

* * *

Chapter 10: End.

A/N: Awww, sorry, I just had to make it Valentine's Day. xD


	11. Chapter 11

Gah! Sorry for the late update! Homework has been coming in, and I've had a bit of a writer's block for this fic, but I got over it! So this should mean faster updates, hopefully!

* * *

Bakura growled as he heard footsteps, recognizing them; they were small and quiet. The man continued to glare out of the window, seated on the edge of his bed, not making eye contact with Ryou as the teenager approached him. "What do you want?"

"I-I wanted…to see how you were…"

"Why?" Bakura snarled, eyes narrowing further. "You…didn't bother to come see me yesterday, so why now?"

"I…I'm sorry. B-But I was out doing some things…a-and I came to see you, but…you were asleep…"

Bakura didn't answer, silently trying to decide if Ryou was lying to him or not.

"Look, Bakura." Ryou said as he sat down beside the male, the bed further sinking down from their combined weight. "…I…I didn't-"

"Where were you?" Bakura interrupted, glancing at Ryou with narrowed eyes.

"…I…was…um…" Ryou stammered, rubbing the back of his head and staring at the floor.

_So he was lying to me. _Bakura thought, eyes narrowing to mere slits when Ryou didn't answer him. The man growled as he grabbed his crutches and stood up, Ryou standing at the same time, "W-Where're you going?"

Bakura didn't answer, going around him and towards the door, but Ryou blocked his path. "But…Bakura…" Ryou stammered, placing a hand on Bakura's arm. The man pulled away instantly from the touch as if it was poison, smacking Ryou's hand away. "Don't touch me!" He screamed.

"But Bakura…" Ryou pleaded, grabbing the man's arm again.

Bakura visibly bristled at the touch. "I said don't touch me!" He yelled, pulling away, smacking Ryou's hand away.

"Bakura, please!" Ryou yelled back, roughly grabbing both of Bakura's forearms. Bakura pulled away instantly, "_Don't touch me!" _He repeated for the third time in a row, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Ryou froze as Bakura dropped his crutches, going around Ryou, and darted into the hallway. Bakura gritted his teeth, pain pulsing in his leg, and it spread with each running step he took. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Ryou chasing him. "Bakura, wait!"

Bakura continued to run, and soon began to breathe heavily, his leg pulsing with sheer pain with each step he took. But he didn't slow down. Racing around the corner, Bakura gritted his teeth together, the pain growing.

Ryou gasped, not that far behind, as Bakura fell to the floor. The teenager rushed over to where Bakura was, the albino trembling, clutching his leg. "Bakura?"

"G-Go away." Bakura commanded with his hands curled about his knee.

"A-Are you okay?" Ryou asked, sitting down beside Bakura upon his knees. "Let me see." Ryou said, trying to move away Bakura's hands. Bakura whimpered audibly, Ryou rolling up the leg of Bakura's jeans, revealing the pure white cast, Ryou frowning at how Bakura's leg was occasionally twitching. He ran a finger over Bakura's knee, Bakura visibly stiffening as he tried to pull away. "D-Don't touch it."

"But Bakura, I have to…" Ryou stated before putting his fingers back against Bakura's leg. The man visibly bristled at the touch. "I said _don't touch it!" _He screamed, his eyes clamping shut. Ryou froze in fear as the almost all of the lights went out, Bakura letting out a scream. In the partial darkness, Ryou could see Bakura sitting there, hands clamped over his ears, his leg twitching. "Make it stop, Ryou! _Make it stop!"_

_What do I do?! _Ryou thought frantically. His mind was racing, Bakura continuing to scream. "M-Make what stop?"

"Just make it stop!" Bakura screamed as loud as he could, the few people in the hallway stopping and slowly panicking, from the lights going out to Bakura's bloodcurdling screams that wouldn't die down. "C-Can't you hear it?!"

"H-Hear what? Bakura, please, tell me…"

The albino didn't hear him, his shoulders shaking. His fingers tightened over his ears, screaming. _/Get out! Get out of my head!/_

_/Are you afraid of me, Bakura-san?/_

_/No! Just leave me alone! What do you want?!/_

_/Not much, actually… You act as if I'm evil. Humph… I'm just a messenger./_

_/M-Messenger?/ _Bakura asked, who was now silent, no longer screaming.

_/You're so naïve, Bakura-san. What, Ryou-kun didn't teach you anything? He didn't teach you about your life, your mind, or body, I'm guessing?/_

_/R-Ryou…Ryou cares about me./ _Bakura said quietly. It was true, wasn't it? _/H-He helped me figure out some things about myself… H-He's helping me learn other things, too… He helps me and I help him./_

_/Yes, I know _that. _But apparently Ryou-kun hasn't started telling you the true things about yourself…/_

_/W-What do you mean?/ _Bakura asked, the comment confusing him, yet at the same time he felt a sense of dread and fear forming in the back of his mind.

_/You need to talk to him, Bakura-san. Tell him you want to know _everything_ about yourself. Tell him you want to know what happened in that lab… There are secrets about you that are trying to be covered up, Bakura-san. You need to discover them. There's a lot of things about yourself you don't even know… There are lots of secrets, lots of lies being told…and a lot of power inside that body of yours… So _much_ power, Bakura-san…/ _There was a pause. _/But you must discover it. Of course, Ryou-kun probably won't know much. You need to talk to Marik as well…/_

"Bakura!" Ryou yelled, desperately shaking Bakura's shoulders, the man's brown, crimson tinted eyes glazed over. He felt a gush of relief when the lights slowly came back on, and Bakura's eyes fluttered shut. He pitched forward in the process, Ryou catching him instantly. Bakura, in a dead faint, was breathing hard and sharply, chest heaving. Ryou sighed, and stood, forcing himself to pick Bakura up. He grunted, unused to carrying much weight, and Bakura was bigger than he was. Despite it, Ryou started down the hallway, hefting the man in his arms.

* * *

_Ryou… Ryou, it hurts… Make it stop… Please, make it stop…_

Ryou swallowed deeply, sitting in the chair beside Bakura's bed. The albino clutched the sheets tightly, beads of sweat appearing on his pale skin.

_Ryou, where are you? Why…can't I hear? Why can't I see? I can hear you, Ryou… But I can't wake up… I can't open my eyes, Ryou… Why can't I open my eyes?_

Ryou placed a slender hand on Bakura's shoulder, feeling Bakura calm down, just a little bit.

_Ryou, you're there. I can feel it… I can feel it. Wake me up, Ryou, please… I don't like it here. There's no one here. I don't have a voice. I can't see or hear anything. But if I can feel you, why can't I just open my eyes? Why can't I just wake up…?_

Bakura whimpered, Ryou frowning slightly as Bakura began to toss and turn. "Bakura?"

_Ryou. Ryou, I can hear you. Please, Ryou, make the pain go away… Wake me up! Please, wake me up! I want to be awake! I don't want to be stuck here!_

Ryou's eyes widened in alarm as Bakura screamed. The man's body went stiff, Bakura's screams increasing in volume. Ryou desperately began to shake him, and slowly, Bakura stopped his screaming, clouded, blank eyes easing open very slowly.

Bakura blinked heavily, his blurred vision focusing slowly, Ryou's tall, lean figure hovering over him. It was the first thing he saw.

Ryou's eyes widened when Bakura lunged out, grabbing him in a bone-crushing hug. "B-Bakura?" Ryou asked.

"Ryou…w-what…exactly am I? Who exactly am I?" Bakura asked, pulling away from the teenager.

Ryou blinked, tilting his head to one side just slightly. "What to do mean, Bakura?"

"T-That voice…it said…it said it was a messenger. I-It said I haven't been told everything about myself… It…said I need to talk to you about it. I…want to, Ryou. I want to know what's being kept from me. I want to know who I really am, and what I really am. I want…I want to know who's lying to me, and who's keeping things from me. I…want to know what these powers are inside of me…"

Ryou swallowed. _A voice? Messenger? …This is…a little strange… But…he can't be lying to me. He seems…really freaked out. _The albino sighed. "Does…this voice have a name? A gender?"

"…I…I don't know." Bakura admitted. "B-But it said…that if you won't tell me anything I need to talk to Marik about it…"

"Bakura, I don't want you to bring something like that up with Marik. He seems to get pretty mad and upset when that comes up in a conversation-"

"So you don't want me to figure out the true characteristics of myself?! You just want me to keep labeling myself as some freak that's just a lab rat created from you?!" Bakura yelled. "I thought you'd be happy for me! Happy for me that I'm actually _trying _to find out more about myself!"

"Bakura, it's not like that!"

"Then what is it like?!" Bakura raged. Ryou swallowed and lowered his gaze, not saying anything. "That's what I thought. Just leave me alone, Ryou." Bakura said before curling up in bed, yanking the covers up to the back of his head. "I hate you."

Ryou swallowed hard, tears starting to burn in his eyes. That comment…it hurt. It hurt so _much. _Choking back his tears, Ryou raised his voice to a scream. "I'm only trying to help you! So if you're just going to act like this, then fine! You hate me, and I hate you, so it all works out!" Ryou screamed, tears in his eyes. "I actually did care about you! I was worried sick when you went missing, and I don't think you realize how guilty I felt when you got hurt! I actually couldn't come to see you because I was working at the same place as Malik, actually trying to get us back up on our feet! But no, you don't care, do you?! I'm trying so hard to make things better, and I'm trying so hard to help you, but you're just too stubborn! You don't listen to me and you always jump to conclusions Bakura! And I hate it! I hate it and I hate you!" Ryou screamed before storming out into the narrow hallway, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks, which he merely rubbed away with his jacket sleeve.

Storming down the sidewalk, Ryou zipped up his jacket, raging off in the direction of the restaurant, where Malik was. Ryou made it to the corner, entering the building, and walked down the main strip of walkway, heading towards the back of the building. He waited there for minutes, when he was finally noticed, Malik raising an eyebrow at him, perplexed. "Ryou? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The albino shook his head, leaning against the wall, and it was only seconds before a fresh wave of tears started, the teenager burying his face in his hands. Malik frowned, taking Ryou by the shoulders and steered him towards a table, forcing Ryou to sit across from him. "Ryou. Tell me what's wrong. I don't like it when you're like this."

Ryou hiccupped, wiping his eyes. "…I-It's…Bakura." He finally said.

"You two were arguing _again?" _Malik asked, leaning forward slightly.

"W-We weren't at first…but when we were in the hallway…something happened with Bakura… He said he could hear a voice, who said they was his 'messenger'… Saying things like he needed to figure out his real self, who he really is, what he is, and he keeps saying there's some power inside of him or something. H-He said that if I couldn't tell him anything he was going to talk to Marik about it." Ryou sniffed. "A-And I didn't really think it was such a good idea, since Marik seems to get really mad and upset when that topic is brought up, you know?" A nod. Ryou sighed and continued. "So then Bakura basically exploded saying things like, 'I thought you'd be happy for me', 'do you want me to keep labeling myself as a freak', stuff like that. I told him…I told him it wasn't like that…but…when I didn't give him another reason, he said…he said he wanted me to leave him alone. H-He s-said he hated me, Malik."

The blonde's expression softened slightly as Ryou started crying harder. "And…what did you say?"

"I-It hurt so much, Malik… It got me so upset and angry, I couldn't help but yell back at him." Ryou sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. "I-I told him…that I was only trying to help him… That I really did care about him, and that when he got hurt, I felt so guilty and worried… I-I told him that I didn't come see him that one day because I was trying to get a job here. I-I said that I was trying to make things better, trying really hard to help, but he was being stubborn… Saying that he doesn't listen to me and jumps to conclusions… I-I said I hated it…a-and I-I s-said I hated h-him."

Malik sighed as Ryou burst further into tears. "Ryou. You two are going to fight. But…maybe it's best that Bakura talks to Marik. It might give him a chance to spill his feelings and let out some of that extra emotion he currently has. Maybe Marik can help…"

Ryou nodded weakly. "O-Okay…"

"Do you think you're up to working tomorrow?" Malik asked, reaching across the table and gently placing a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou nodded again. "Y-Yeah. If…it's not too much trouble, can you get Marik to go see Bakura tomorrow? I…guess…the sooner the better."

Malik nodded. "Yeah. I'll get him to go see him first thing, okay?"

* * *

Chapter 11: End. 


	12. Chapter 12

Bleh, sorry guys for the late update! And thanks for those of you who reviewed, and I really appreciate your patience!

* * *

Bakura's eyes flashed open as the door slammed shut. He could feel the remains of pain still gnawing at his body, but he struggled to ignore them.

"Bakura, you in here?"

Bakura sat up slowly, and turned on the lamp sitting beside his bed, the albino rubbing at his eyes. "What is it?"

"…Malik wanted me to talk to you." Marik muttered as he sat down in the vacant chair that sat next to Bakura's bedside, crossing his right leg over his left, scowling. "He told me everything, Bakura."

Bakura swallowed, lowering his gaze.

"…You don't really hate him, do you?" Marik asked, Bakura slowly shaking his head. "…Then why do you say things like that? Comments like that only further shatter people and lead to more fights. And honestly…" Marik leaned forward a little. "I think you're being too emotional."

"But Ryou-"

"Ryou hasn't done anything to you, Bakura. He's only trying to help you out, and whenever he says something that goes against your wishes or beliefs, you go off on him. Of course he's going to become upset." Marik paused, a little bit of hesitation showing his voice. "…I know what Ryou feels. Malik gets the same way… Malik used to get pushed around when he worked in the lab… He had it rough, so just imagine how rough Ryou had it. The kid had even less than Malik did."

Bakura bit his bottom lip, hard.

"Just think about it. Every time you've seen him cry… What was the reason? Either it was because of his past, or because of you. If he says something that you disagree with, you go off. And then you usually leave, so he doesn't have any idea where you are. It's tearing him apart, Bakura, and you don't even realize it.

"He blamed himself for everything. He thought it was his fault you got in that blizzard, his fault you got hit by a car… But it's your fault, Bakura. He tried to talk to you, but you didn't listen. You got angry and stormed out, just because things didn't go your way… And it isn't good for him. He keeps blaming himself, keeps crying… His emotions are tangled and he's literally falling apart right in front of you, Bakura, but you can't seem to get it through your thick skull what's really happening! You just think it's all about you, but it isn't!"

Bakura swallowed hard, lowering his gaze to the bed. "…I…I didn't…"

"But you did do it anyway. And if this continues, bad things are going to happen… Trust me on this, Bakura; I used to be just like you… And my actions made Malik just like Ryou. He was so depressed, and he barely spoke to anyone, not even people at work. And it took forever for the trust to rebuild… And I don't want to see that happen to you two."

-

Malik frowned as he and Ryou entered the apartment. Ryou had declined the offer to go see Bakura, and instantly crashed down on the couch, without changing out of his uniform.

"…Ryou…um…I'm going to get groceries. Do you want anything?"

Ryou buried his face into the couch cushion, tears pushing into his eyes, and shook his head. He heard the blonde sigh and the apartment door opened, and closed afterwards as Malik left.

Unlike Malik, Ryou merely waited tables while the other teenager waited the bar. Rummaging through his pockets, he extracted the crumpled notes from tips, and reached under the couch, extracting a jar that he had cleaned out after the peanut butter had run out. He merely put the money into the jar before putting it back under the couch and got himself settled.

Lying on his back, he stared up at the ceiling before he started to cry, rolling over onto his stomach and cried openly into the cushion, his entire body shaking. And after he managed to stop, he merely plugged in the radio that sat on the side table, and turned the volume up loud. But his tears only returned as the music played, an occasional Three Days Grace or Linkin Park song relating so close to his situation, and only made him cry harder.

* * *

Bakura bit his bottom lip hard, his fingers stiff, lingering over the metal buttons. A part of him was afraid to dial the number. Malik and Marik had no home phone, only a cell phone for each of them. Glancing down at the slip of paper for Malik's number, he took a deep, almost trembling breath, and dialed it before he had a chance to reject.

Ryou stirred as Malik's phone rang loudly, sitting beside him on the coffee table where Malik left it at night. Groggily he rolled over, the radio off now and unplugged, apparently from Malik. He looked up at the clock in the darkness, and blinked tiredly from the early hour. He picked up the phone with a pale hand, and flipped it open. "Hello?"

Bakura swallowed hard as Ryou's tired, gentle voice projected through the receiver. There was sadness in his voice. "Hello?" Ryou's voice came again, since Bakura hadn't answered yet.

"…H-Hey." Bakura stammered, fiddling with the phone cord.

Ryou's eyes widened, and then narrowed a little, struggling to keep his voice from trembling. "…W-What do you want?"

"…I…I just wanted to talk to you."

Ryou chewed on his bottom lip, fiddling with the cord on his uniform, which was still on his body. His mind was frozen, and he couldn't think of anything to say.

"…Marik came by earlier." Bakura said quietly into the phone. "He…kind of made me figure out how stupid I am…how bad I really treat you… A-And I wanted to say I'm sorry. Y-You've been straining to get by, and trying your hardest. And I just made you feel bad, and I made things so horrible for you Ryou. After Marik told me…he made me realize it and it just showed how crappy of a friend I am…"

Ryou was silent, tears going down his cheeks as he silently cried.

"…You still there?" Bakura asked quietly.

"…Yeah. I…I'm still here." Ryou finally said, crying hard.

Bakura bit his lip, able to hear Ryou crying, his voice trembling and cracking when he tried to talk. He thought hard, trying to choose his words carefully. "…Ryou…I…I heard that you got a job."

"Y-Yeah." Ryou stammered, wiping his eyes. "I work at the same restaurant as Malik, though he does bar and I just do tables…"

"…I just…wish I could help you out, Ryou." Bakura whispered into the phone, sitting down in the chair, and found he couldn't sit still, constantly crossing his legs over each other and squirming.

There was a long period of silence.

"…W-When do you get out of the hospital?" Ryou asked suddenly.

"…Tomorrow, I think."

Ryou swallowed hard. He began to dread it, afraid of what would happen, afraid that he wasn't ready to face the albino again. "…T-That's good." Ryou said slowly, tears pulsing in his eyes.

"…I guess. Well…I have to go, okay? I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and Marik's dropping me off so don't tell Malik or anything that he has to come get me. See you soon, okay? Bye."

"…Bye." Ryou whispered, and flipped the phone shut. He rubbed at his tear-filled eyes, unable to decide if he should feel happy or worried.

* * *

Bakura grunted as he traveled down the sidewalk. The day had been completely uneventful, and he was relieved when Marik appeared to pick him up. The crutches hurt his arms badly, and he still had to adjust to swinging on just one leg.

Marik broke the long silence suddenly. "…What did you tell Ryou?"

Bakura bit his bottom lip. "…I…I told him I was sorry. A-And I told him a couple of other things, but…he was crying on the other line, I could tell. He…didn't really say much, though." Bakura admitted.

"…He's probably still upset, Bakura. You have to give it time."

Bakura sighed deeply. "…I…I know." Although he wouldn't admit it, he felt horribly guilty, and missed seeing the teenager smile, not liking to see him so upset.

It was minutes before they came to the set of apartments, and it took a while longer for Bakura to climb the stairs. Marik merely growled, his patience worn out from work, and yanked Bakura off his feet. The albino yelped and was thrown over Marik's shoulder, the blonde carrying his crutches in his other hand.

Bakura shifted uneasily, his position making his already damaged ribs throb more. He was relieved when Marik reached the third floor, and put the key in the lock, slamming against the door with his hip. It snapped open, and he set Bakura down, handing over his crutches as he walked inside.

Bakura followed him, shutting the door quietly. He watched Marik tug off his shoes before heading in the direction of the bedroom, leaving Bakura alone in the room. The man sighed, heading into the kitchen, and paused. In the darkness he could see Ryou's figure curled up on the couch.

After getting himself something to drink, Bakura went back, and stood there for a few minutes, staring down at the teenager. He was curled up in a ball, still in his work clothes, his shoes discarded on the floor next to the couch. Bakura noticed he was wearing headphones, and frowning, pried them off. He placed them to his own ears, figuring it out slowly that it was a radio. He discarded the headphones on the side table, and unplugged the radio slowly. Afterwards he sat down on the floor beside Ryou, staring at him.

Ryou was shaking, not having anything to cover himself. Tears were trickling down his cheeks in his sleep, and his pale face was streaked with the crystal droplets. The small angel was tossing and turning, crying out quietly, his mind apparently plagued with nightmares.

Bakura reached out with slim, pale hands, and undid the cord on Ryou's black uniform cover, which fell down his shoulders, revealing the blue, long-sleeved shirt, the buttons going all the way down the front, and the bottom of the shirt ending at his thighs, where black pants started. Bakura sighed almost silently, draping the black covering over Ryou before pulling off his own coat, and put it over him, covering his shoulders and arms, the material stopping at midpoint on his back.

A smile mingled onto Bakura's lips as Ryou calmed slightly. But his smile faded almost instantly, noting the dark circles under the albino's eyes, and how thin and small he looked at the present time. He sighed again, and slowly and awkwardly tried to stand up, but failed, unused to not having his knees being able to bend.

Ryou's eyes eased open just slightly suddenly. They were blank, and fell shut only milliseconds later. He snuggled deep under the cover of Bakura's coat and his black uniform item, his hand snaking out and clutching the pillow.

Bakura smiled slightly, and closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted. He yawned, and curled up on the floor instead, right beside the couch. He was cold, but did nothing to stop it. He fell asleep almost instantly, so tired that he made no sound.

Ryou rolled over, his uniform cover slipping. It fell, dangling halfway so that is covered part of his arm that dangled over the edge of the couch and fell over most of Bakura's body.

Bakura stopped shivering slowly from the warmth of the black material, and although the floor was hard, he didn't feel any of it. His conscience had cleared slightly, although he still felt some guilt. But it wasn't nearly as much as he felt before…

* * *

Chapter 12: End.

A/N: Sorry that this chapter is a little short, and I know it probably wasn't worth the wait... But the good stuff starts back up next chapter. :)


	13. Chapter 13

Bleh, slow update, sorry.

Good news though! I'm probably going to do a Halloween fic this year. :D

* * *

Ryou's eyes fluttered open slowly. He was actually warm, and there was absolutely no light coming in from outside. The albino took notice of the black coat draped over him in an instant, and he frowned. He sat up, and was about to put his feet on the floor, and froze. 

Bakura was lying there, sleeping silently, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm. His body was halfway covered by Ryou's black uniform covering. He noticed the man's broken leg twitching slightly in his sleep, and how innocent he appeared.

Ryou held his breath as Bakura's eyes flickered before easing open slowly. His eyes were clouded, but it went away as he blinked.

The man didn't notice Ryou, and stretched, raising his arms above his head and arched his back, not stopping until a few small cracks came from his spine. He tiredly rolled over, facing Ryou now, and let his eyes drift shut.

Ryou stared blankly down at Bakura. A look of innocence came over Bakura's features as he slowly fell asleep again, snoring almost silently.

Ryou tiredly lay back down, and decided to instead sleep the day away, at least until something happened.

* * *

Bakura slowly opened his eyes. He yawned quietly, giving a cat-like stretch, and slowly sat up. He brushed the hair out of his eyes, and looked around, seeing Ryou still asleep on the couch. Grunting, he grabbed the corner of the table, shakily and awkwardly standing up. 

He flinched as the door opened, and shut, Marik walking into the room, his boots clunking across the floor. "Oh. You're awake, huh?"

Bakura nodded, shakily making his way to the free space in the armchair and sat down, crutches propped up next to it. There was an uncomfortable silence, and after thinking for a few minutes, Bakura broke it. "Marik? Can you…tell me about the lab you and Malik were in?"

Marik froze, and slowly looked at Bakura, eyes narrowed slightly. But he lowered his gaze, and sighed. "I guess I could."

The blonde made his way into the kitchen and sat down on the counter, legs dangling. "So…it all started a few years back… Malik was an ordinary worker, and he struggled just like Ryou. And when the money grew low, he was offered the opportunity the scientists said, 'of a lifetime'…

"So Malik took the chance. They took millions of tests on him before he could get into the process… He told me they locked him in a room…that was basically nothing more than a container. He told me he was so nervous when it all started…

"They ran so many tests on him. He was so weak he slept for just about three straight days. And when he woke up, he told me that…that I was already being made…"

"How did you guys get out of there?" Bakura asked, remembering how he went chaotic and destroyed everything that got in his way. He grimaced at the memory.

"…Malik told me…that my body was finally finished…and that I finally awoke. But…before I had a chance to do anything…something went wrong with the machines." Marik closed his eyes for a minute or two before he reopened them. "I can remember this explosion…and I was still in my container. Malik could've left me behind, but…he didn't. He saved me. He told me that the process was done partially incorrect, causing the machinery to malfunction…"

"What was the thing done wrong?" Bakura asked.

"…We were made with emotions, that's what. They were trying to clone us, but without us having our own wills or feelings so we couldn't cause trouble. And that voice…Malik told me that it was an accident when the machinery went haywire…"

Bakura blinked. He didn't remember any machines blowing up when he was there, so why could he hear a voice? His thoughts were interrupted when Ryou groaned quietly.

The teen rolled over, white hair falling into his face. He murmured something too softly to be heard, and his eyes fluttered.

"Take him somewhere and talk to him. Trust me on this." Marik whispered and retreated from the room quickly to leave the two albinos alone.

Ryou opened his eyes slowly, and groaned. He was still horribly tired. He sat up slowly, and gasped as he noticed Bakura staring at him from his place in the armchair.

"…How're you feeling?" Bakura asked quietly, cocking his head to the right just a little, making strands of silver hair fall into his face.

"F-Fine." Ryou stammered, not looking at the man. Pieces of dread were still swimming in his stomach.

"Good." Bakura said, and smiled a little. "…Hey…um…if you don't have anything going on…I was wondering if…you wanted to go somewhere…" Bakura whispered, cheeks heating up in a shade of pink. "…I…I want to talk to you, and besides, I think we need some air."

Ryou looked up, seeing Bakura staring at the floor, blushing slightly. The teenager blinked, and sighed quietly. "All right."

Bakura's lips broke into a wide smile.

Ryou stood up and crossed the room, heading into the bathroom. He sighed quietly, starting up the sink to wash his face, since he didn't have time for a shower. While he did so, a part of him was beyond nervous and fearful of talking to Bakura face-to-face again, but another part really wanted to…

* * *

Bakura glanced up at the sky, and frowned. "I think…it's going to rain." He stated, noting the gray clouds that hung low. 

Ryou didn't say anything. He was walking along beside Bakura, who was trying his best to go a normal speed with his crutches. In his hands was a small umbrella that he decided to drag along just in case it did rain.

Bakura sighed as he reached the park bench, and sat down. He let out a groan, "These things are _killing_ me."

Ryou still didn't answer, sitting down beside Bakura.

"Hey…why are you so quiet? It's not any fun just talking to myself, you know." Bakura said, looking at Ryou, and frowned when the boy didn't look at him or even answer. "…You're still upset, aren't you?" Bakura said, placing a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou flinched at the touch, although it was light and gentle. Startled, he turned quickly, seeing Bakura looking at him, though not in his usual way. There was a small frown upon his lips, and those dark eyes had a glimmer. A strange glimmer; one with patience and understanding… Ryou sighed and nodded.

"…It's okay. I understand." Bakura murmured softly, placing both hands on Ryou's shoulders, staring right into Ryou's eyes. "Marik was right. I was selfish and stupid and arrogant. I didn't give you enough patience or chances. I was a jerk. I deserved to get hit by that car."

Ryou's eyes filled up with tears. He lowered his head, starting to cry. And the most ironic of it all, was that it started to rain.

"Hey…don't cry." Bakura said, taking the umbrella from Ryou's shaking, slender hands.

Ryou sniffled, and looked up in time to see Bakura open the black umbrella, the man scooting closer. He raised the umbrella high, high enough to shield them both from the rain. A wide smile coated Bakura's lips, and he placed his free hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Don't cry. Okay?"

Ryou nodded, wiping his eyes with his hand. He blinked up at Bakura, the rain contrasting sharply with his strands of white hair, brown, crimson tinted eyes glinting. Smiling, Bakura looked out into space, still holding the umbrella high.

"…Tell me Ryou…" Bakura said quietly, staring out into the growing darkness. "…Were you…happier when I was gone?"

Ryou's eyes grew wide in shock. And as Bakura looked at him, he instead focused his gaze elsewhere. "…I…I…" He stammered, and swallowed hard. "…I was upset. I…I guess you could say I was depressed. And when you called me…and said you were coming back…I didn't know how to feel." Ryou said, and sighed deeply, holding back crystal tears. "But I was lonely. And I…I'm glad you're back. If…you would've gotten killed…I didn't know what I would do."

Bakura smiled, and chuckled softly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his dark eyes. He broke the silence that settled in. "Come on. We need to get out of this rain."

Bakura stood up, crutches in hand, umbrella in his other. Placing the crutches beneath his arms, he frowned, realizing he couldn't do all of it at once.

"Let me carry it." Ryou said, taking the object from Bakura's hand. Ryou led the way towards the shops, slowing his pace so Bakura could keep up. And soon they were at the line of stores, where the overhang shielded them from the rain. Ryou closed the umbrella, wiping a few droplets of rain from his pale face.

"…You want something for lunch? My treat." Ryou said suddenly, a smile across his lips.

"You don't have to-"

"Oh, come on. Don't try that. Besides, Malik is there, and I had the day off." Ryou said, and smiled wider. He didn't let Bakura protest as he made his way towards the building, and nearly pushed Bakura inside.

The albino was looking about, having never been inside this place before. Ryou was still leading the way, but Bakura was so busy looking around he never noticed the figure in his path.

Ryou spun around as he heard a grunt and a clatter. He gasped, seeing Bakura sitting on the floor, his crutches fallen, Bakura trembling slightly in pain from where he had apparently hit his broken leg. "Are you okay?" Ryou asked quickly, getting down beside Bakura.

Bakura nodded slowly, teeth gritted. He looked up, and frowned hard. "Hey!"

The scene was attracting quite a few stares. Malik came rushing over, frowning. "What's going on over here?" He asked, noting how Bakura was on the floor with Ryou crouched beside him.

"Bakura ran into someone and fell." Ryou said quietly in an undertone. He noticed that Bakura and the one he had run into were glaring at each other. Ryou held out his hand, and helped Bakura up, picking up his fallen crutches and handed them over.

"I'm sorry." Ryou said quickly, lowering his head a little.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Malik blinked, eyes widening. "Oh, right! I forgot." He said, and sighed quietly. "Ryou, Bakura, this is Yugi and Yami."

Ryou smiled. "It's nice to meet you." He said, and looked at Bakura, who was still glowering at Yami in silence. "Bakura. Apologize." Ryou said in an undertone so the other boys wouldn't hear.

Bakura snorted and turned away, stalking off and sat down on a chair not too far away in the lobby, scowling.

"…I'm sorry. He's a little…antisocial." Ryou said, chuckling nervously. He looked at Malik as he spoke.

"Yugi, Ryou works here too, but he's off today. So you guys will probably meet up tomorrow morning."

"Oh! Really?" Ryou asked, looking at the shorter boy, and then at the taller of the two. "So, um, Yami…are you two related?"

The two fell silent. Ryou swallowed hard, his stomach twisting as he realized he had just screwed up.

"…Not exactly." The taller boy whispered. "Why? Are you and Bakura?"

Ryou sighed deeply and shook his head.

All heads turned to Malik as the teenager spoke quietly. "So we're all in the same situation. We're all either the cloned or a clone."

Deep silence fell over the four, along with Bakura, who was sitting alone in silence.

* * *

Chapter 13: End. 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Ugh. This update took a very long time. I know, and I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me. D:

A lot of people were wondering about Yugi and Yami. No, I don't really like them. That's probably why they're not in my fics. In this story, Yugi and Yami will be _very _minor characters.

* * *

"So, Malik, has Marik met them already?" Ryou asked, before taking the straw of his drink between his teeth.

Malik nodded. "Yeah, so now we've all met, I guess. This is really weird though… How many places are doing this exactly?"

Bakura merely huffed, elbows propped up on the table and his chin in his hand. They were seated at a table, Ryou and Bakura on one side, Yami and Yugi on the other, and Malik on the end between them.

Ryou nodded in agreement. "…Hey, Yami… If you don't mind me asking…what exactly happened in your situation?"

"Well, I think we've all had the same basics…and the intentions for all of us were the same. But I think we're all failed ones, since we all have emotions, and the target was against that. But, I think I have a theory."

"And that would be…?" Bakura asked moodily, sucking down his milkshake. He looked at Ryou in a glare as the boy roughly jabbed his side with his elbow. Ryou frowned at him, eyes reading for Bakura to behave. Bakura huffed again, and glared at the wall.

"If we were created with emotions, then we must have other abilities as well. Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but when Yugi and I got out, there was a voice-"

"Marik told me he had one too! I think it was because some machines went haywire when we were there." Malik interrupted.

"That can't be." Bakura said, and glared at the table. "I had one. I still do. But when Ryou and I were there, no machines broke, or anything else. It's…weird." Bakura said, clenching and unclenching his fists.

There was silence.

Bakura growled quietly and stood up without a word. He was about to walk off when Ryou grabbed his shirt. "Bakura. Sit down."

"Make me." Bakura snarled. "Now let me go. I'm going to the lobby."

"No you're not." Ryou said back, standing up with a clatter.

"Let me go!" Bakura yelled, and yanked his arm free. The movements made his elbow collide with Malik's drink, knocking it over. Malik leapt up, water spilling onto his jeans, but not much.

Everyone froze at the table.

Bakura swore, glaring at the floor and put the crutches under his arms, and stalked off.

Ryou's face was flushed with embarrassment. "M-Malik, I-I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it." Malik said with a sigh, trying to mop up the water from the tabletop. "Marik acts the same way around them." He whispered, quiet enough so the two others wouldn't hear.

Bakura sat down moodily on a bench. He hated them already, and they just met. He couldn't be more relieved when he saw a familiar face walk inside. "Marik, what're you doing here?"

"To walk Malik home." Marik answered simply. "Where is he?"

"Well we _were _having lunch. And everything was fine before _they _showed up." Bakura snarled.

"Who?" Marik asked, and frowned at where Bakura pointed. His expression turned into a deep frown instantly. _"Oh."_

Malik's head snapped up as he heard a whistle, seeing Marik waving at him in the lobby. His face heated up at the stares he received, and mouthed an 'I'll be right there.'

Ryou sighed deeply. "Look, I'm really sorry…"

"I already told you not to worry about it, Ryou." Malik said, and rolled his eyes. "Seriously. Sometimes you can be almost _too_ polite."

After cleaning up the mess, and sending off final messages to the others, Malik and Ryou hurried into the lobby.

"Finally. We've been here _forever."_ Bakura whined, standing up. He was the first one to exit, relieved to be out of there.

"Bakura, I told you to behave in public," Ryou growled. "What was that about, anyway?"

"I don't like them!" Bakura screamed. People on the street stared at him, but Bakura didn't care. He had been holding it in for so long, and he felt as if he didn't get off his chest now he was going to explode.

"Why not?"

"I just don't! He thinks he's better than us." Bakura growled.

"…What do you mean…?" Malik and Ryou asked in union.

"You guys can't even feel it, can you?" Bakura muttered, looking at Marik. "…The way he acts around the one he was made from… And whether or not _you _guys can…Marik and I can just…_feel_ this almost aura he has. His ego is so overfilled it makes me sick."

Bakura and Marik said nothing more the whole way home.

When they reached their apartment, Bakura stalked inside, his eyes narrowed in disgust, his thoughts still focusing upon the past situation. "I'm going to take a bath." He snarled, and stormed off.

Ryou flinched as Bakura went into the bathroom, making sure to slam the door as hard as he possibly could, nearly breaking it off its hinges in the process.

* * *

"Bakura." Ryou said, trying to get the man's attention. "Bakura!" 

"What?!" Bakura screamed, looking up from his magazine.

"Why won't you talk to me?" Ryou asked, putting his hands on his hips. He frowned as Bakura merely huffed and looked away. "Bakura."

Bakura merely ignored him. But, with Ryou staring at him, he was more focused on the teenager instead of his magazine. He had to keep rereading the text, not comprehending what he read. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Okay. Fine. I'm mad, okay? Now leave me alone."

"Well…are you going to tell me what you're upset about?" Ryou asked. When Bakura didn't answer, he frowned harder. "Is it because of what happened yesterday?"

Bakura tensed visibly, his fingers tightening on the pencil in his right hand so much it nearly broke. Using his knee as a surface, he scratched down a two in one of the boxes.

"That's what it is, isn't it?" Ryou asked, before he sighed. "Right?" Ryou asked.

Bakura couldn't hold it in any longer. "Shut up! I already told you I didn't like them! Quit bugging me about it, because I don't want to hear it!" Bakura screamed.

Ryou's eyes widened as the lights began to flicker. He felt a rush of relief when the electrical sources calmed.

Bakura snarled, and lay back down with his game of 'Sudoku'. He only had one full box left…

Ryou sighed quietly, and turned away. He went into the connected kitchen to get himself a drink, when Malik came out. "What's all the yelling about?"

"Me upsetting Bakura…_again_…" Ryou sighed. "I hate it. Lately it seems that all we do is argue…"

"Don't worry about it. It's probably just his stage…"

'What do you mean?" Ryou asked, his brow furrowing.

"Well… Marik had a stage just like Bakura's. He was moody all the time and yelled, and we argued pretty much every chance we received," Malik said, keeping his voice quiet enough to not let Bakura hear. He paused to drag out the materials for supper, before starting again. "It stopped in a few weeks. He's probably just a lot more agitated right now because of Yami and Yugi… Marik really doesn't like them either. I…think it would be a good idea to not let them get near each other again…"

"I'll keep that in mind." Ryou muttered bitterly. "But I still don't really understand why they hate them so much."

"…Maybe it's a clone thing." Malik said in a whisper.

Ryou felt his heart skip a beat at that comment. He stole a glance at Bakura, who was grinning as he scratched down his final number. He murmured softly to Malik, "I don't think it is just emotions they were born with."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed the lights go out when their emotions get out of control?" Ryou paused, nibbling at his lower lip. "I think maybe…we should test them. Secretly, you know? Like give them some things to do and see what works out…"

"Count me out. Marik wouldn't do that. He'd know I would be up to something. But, I can try to get you an IQ test paper from the local Internet that the library has down the street."

"Oh, thanks." Ryou said, and smiled. He left the subject alone, yet continued to think it over in his brain while helping Malik cook. He found himself constantly looking at Bakura to see him reading more things in the magazines, or working on more puzzles, nibbling on his pencil in thought.

"Bakura, ten minutes before supper, okay?" Malik said, smiling.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Bakura said, not paying attention. He scribbled down another word on his crossword puzzle, and smiled to himself at how much he had finished.

Soon dinner was ready, and all four of the family members managed to crowd into the tiny living room. Bakura and Ryou sat on the couch, Marik in the armchair, and Malik sitting in a chair he had brought in from a different room.

"It's…a little strange to have everyone here at one time." Ryou said in a quiet voice.

Malik and Marik made a small noise to prove they agreed, but Bakura was silent. He was being strangely quiet.

After the meal, Bakura was the first to get up. Without saying anything, he headed towards the bathroom, and quietly shut the door.

Ryou followed him, and heard the water running for a hot bath. He waited, until things got quiet. He heard Bakura climb into the bathtub, and then all was silent.

Bakura groaned, stretching out in the tub. The warm water relaxed his strangely tense muscles. _Why do I feel so uptight today…?_

He had no answer for that. His mind was strangely blank.

Examining his hands, he noticed something. A scar ran down his knuckles, and he grimaced in memory… _Was…this from the destruction I caused in that lab…?_

He could remember it so very clearly…as if it just happened yesterday…

_I really screwed up when that happened._

He cleared his mind, and just chose to relax in the warm bath. It released the tense stability of his brain, and let him go free.

He felt so comfortable…

Ryou sighed quietly. "He'll probably be mad when I try to get him to take that test tomorrow…"

Ryou stood, and went back into the living room where the others sat. "He's in the bath." He said quietly as he sat down.

They spent the rest of the time merely holding a conversation.

And as Bakura got out, Malik and Marik went to bed.

Bakura and Ryou merely laid in the living room, and talked quietly, until they fell asleep.

* * *

Chapter 14: End. 


	15. Chapter 15

"Is…Malik off of work today, Ryou?" Bakura asked, his voice strangely soft, rummaging through the fridge for some juice.

"Yes. We're going to get groceries when he's done getting ready…" Ryou said, checking off the answers to the IQ test Bakura had done.

"…Can…I go too?" Bakura asked, making Ryou's gaze snap up. "…I…I want to go…"

"Why?" Ryou asked, frowning.

"…I…I'm bored. And I never get to get out much… You guys are never home…and I'm stuck here all by myself all day…" Bakura's voice grew notably softer. "…No one ever does anything with me…"

Ryou felt pity forming in his stomach. It was true, he had to admit… Bakura was stuck in the house all day, with no one around. They didn't have any games, and the cable was horrible, so Bakura apparently had to find a way to entertain himself… "Uh…"

"…You probably don't want me to go along…do you? You just think I'll weigh you down…" Bakura whispered. He sounded upset.

"I just…" Ryou sighed. "Look, Bakura. Ask Malik. If he says yes, then you can go." He didn't want to argue…

Bakura went towards the bathroom on his crutches, Ryou watching him go before going back to checking Bakura's test answers.

Bakura hesitantly opened the door to the bathroom. "Malik…?"

The boy glanced at him, in the midst of brushing his hair. "Hmm?"

Bakura hesitated. "…C…Can I go with you and Ryou to the store today?"

"Of course. Why didn't you ask Ryou?" Malik asked, going back to brushing his hair, and tugging at a knot.

"…He told me to ask you…" Bakura's voice grew soft. "…Malik… I don't… I don't think Ryou cares about me anymore…"

Malik stopped. "Bakura, why would you say that? Of course he does."

"No he doesn't… He never asks me to go with him… And when he comes home, he just goes off by himself and does what he wants… Have you noticed? He never asks me anything, except when he's suspecting something…"

Malik's lavender eyes softened. Bakura sounded close to tears. The teen sighed. He couldn't really blame him… "Bakura…I think you're just a little stressed out and upset right now. Maybe when Marik is off on Friday he can take you somewhere for the day."

"…But Ryou… I was made from Ryou…" Bakura trailed off into a whisper. "Is that why…? Maybe he's mad…that he actually has me around… If I hadn't have destroyed the lab he still would have a home…"

Malik sighed, and directed Bakura, forcing him to sit down on the edge of the bathtub. "Bakura…just tell me everything, okay?"

* * *

Bakura was crying.

Malik felt sorry for him, listening to Bakura spill out his feelings before having a near breakdown and bursting into tears. Bakura just kept crying and he had no idea how to make him stop.

"Bakura… Just stay here… Do you want me to get Ryou…?"

Bakura hiccupped, and shook his head. "N-No…"

Malik sighed. "Hold on. I'll be right back." He hurried out of the bathroom.

Ryou frowned as Malik came out, the blonde sighing heavily. "Bakura's been in there a long time with you… What's going on?"

"He's crying right now." Malik said softly, making Bakura a cup of hot tea in an attempt to calm him.

"What? Why?" Ryou asked, frowning in concern.

"He's upset. He doesn't think you care about him anymore… He's been saying how he's alone all the time and when you come home from work you don't even try to talk to him. He says you just go off in your own little world and leave him by himself…"

Ryou swallowed. "I still care about him… It's just…you know… I'm tired by the time my shift is over… I can't help it that I get home late, and I can't help that he's by himself all day…"

"You need to talk to him about it, Ryou. He sounds really upset. I think all this time of being alone is finally pushing him to the edge," Malik said, picking up the mug of tea for Bakura. "When Bakura calms down we can go ahead and leave, if you're ready."

Malik went back into the bathroom, closing the door.

Ryou hesitantly got up and tiptoed down the corridor, pressing his ear to the door. He could hear Bakura near sobbing in the bathroom, sounding close to breaking down. Malik's voice… "Here. Drink this."

Bakura hiccupped, sniffling, and took the mug from Malik's outstretched hands. He managed to take a sip.

"Bakura… I just think that being by yourself all day is starting to get to you…"

Bakura sniffed, looking at the floor.

"Come on. I'm sure Ryou still cares about you plenty. He's probably just worn completely out by the time he gets off of work… Just calm down… You don't want Ryou to see you crying, do you?"

Bakura shook his head, sniffling, sipping at his hot drink once again.

"I thought so. Now, we're getting ready to leave. Just do what you need to and meet us in the living room." Malik said, leaving the room.

Ten minutes passed before Bakura finally came out, and by the way his eyes looked, it was near impossible to tell he had been crying. The albino didn't look at Ryou.

"All right. I guess we're all set." Ryou said, standing up. Malik led the way to the door, Bakura following, and Ryou at his side. He looked at Bakura, but the duplicate didn't look back.

* * *

"Whoa… It's _huge…" _Bakura said softly as the three entered the store.

"Yeah. This isn't the regular store Ryou and I go to. This one has _everything…" _Malik said, unable to help but grin.

Bakura looked around, feeling suddenly a little self-conscious. There were so many people… He finally looked at Ryou, who was talking to Malik about where to meet. Finally Ryou turned to Bakura. "Come on, Bakura. You can come with me." Ryou said, trying to lead Bakura away from the entrance of the store. Bakura, however, hesitated.

"Bakura, come on." Ryou said again, frowning. Bakura slowly followed.

Ryou carried the basket, picking out food and drinks while Bakura glanced around. He and Malik made an agreement that when they went shopping they would cut the store in half, each taking a side. "How come you hesitated when I called you?"

Bakura swallowed hard. "…You… I didn't think…"

He watched Bakura lower his gaze, a sudden sadness coming over Bakura's features. He sighed. "Bakura… If this is about me not caring… Please, don't start it. You know I care… I'm just exhausted when I get done with work…"

Bakura took his chance. "Even when you don't have work, you always run off with Malik! You never ask me to come with you…"

"I didn't think you wanted to. Besides, your leg-"

"It's been broken for weeks! Don't you think I know how to work my crutches after a near month?!" Bakura was almost screaming, the pair receiving stares from the other shoppers. "Admit it! You just don't want to drag me around because I'm a burden!"

"That's not true!" Ryou managed to keep his voice just lower than a yell. He could feel himself turning red from all the people looking at them. "Bakura, we can talk about this later. Now isn't-"

"See! I start telling you how I feel and you tell me to stop! If you cared about me you would actually let me explain! But _no!_ I don't like to tell you _anything_ anymore because every time I do, you always try to cut me short or _something!" _Bakura bellowed, feeling tears push into his eyes. Angrily he turned away and started down the isle away from Ryou.

"Where're you going?!" Ryou yelled, finding that he couldn't move.

"I'm getting something for myself and I'm going _home_." Bakura snarled, not even looking back. He disappeared as he turned right.

Ryou sighed heavily, feeling tears burning in his eyes, but he pushed them away. He knew Bakura would come back soon. He sighed, rubbing at his eyes, and went back to shopping.

"I hate him!" Bakura was almost crying. "Liar… He said he cared about me…"

Bakura looked up, and caved in, needing _something _to make him feel better. He decided on candy, making his way to the little section of the store where you just filled up a bag of what you wanted.

Bakura noticed a few little kids, begging their parents. He didn't make eye contact with anyone, feeling uncomfortable, being so much older and taller.

He just got what he liked; not wanting to give what he never had a shot yet.

_Stupid Ryou… _Bakura thought to himself as he bought his candy with the five-dollar bill he had found on the ground on the way to the store. Getting his change he made his way to the front of the store where they had entered. He sat down on a vacant bench and began stuffing his face with the candy he bought.

Ten minutes passed. Ryou still wasn't showing his face. Bakura felt his heart sink to the pits of his stomach, more tears forming in his eyes. _Why isn't he actually worried…? I could've left the store by now and he never would've known… He isn't even looking for me… Maybe he really is sick of me… Maybe he wants me to go away… _Bakura held his tears back, feeling worse and worse by the minute, stuffing a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

Another ten minutes. Ryou wasn't there. Bakura's heart was further sinking. He was hoping Malik would show up soon, or some random coincidence that Marik would walk right in. Someone… _Anyone…_

Finally Bakura lost hope. He tied his bag of candy shut, and since the chocolate was gone, he stuffed it into his pocket for later. "Fine… He wants me gone… I'll just go back to the apartment…"

Bakura exited the supermarket through the automatic doors, walking out to the sidewalk. People paid him no mind. Bakura started down the street, heading back towards the apartment complex.

He never noticed the man across the street watching him.

-

"Malik…" Ryou ran to the front of the store, where Malik was waiting, his arms full of grocery bags. He sounded out of breath and worried.

"What is it? Where's Bakura?"

"I don't know! I've been looking everywhere for him… We started arguing and he went off… About half an hour ago he was buying candy and sitting on the bench and now he's _gone!"_ Ryou was nearly screaming.

Malik could see the panic in Ryou's chocolate orbs. His grip tightened on the plastic handles of the bags. "…Crap… He must've ran off again…"

"I'm worried, Malik… What if he got himself into trouble again? You remember what happened last time…" Ryou whispered, remembering the blizzard.

"Ryou, he can't be far. He's on crutches. Come on. I'll help you look for him. He might've went home…"

"I hope so…" Ryou whispered, following Malik outside. They glanced around, not seeing Bakura on the street.

They ran off down the sidewalk in the direction of the apartments.

The man across the street folded his newspaper at the sight of Ryou and Malik running down the sidewalk, and grinned.

The two teenagers never noticed.

* * *

Chapter 15: End.


	16. Chapter 16

Ryou slammed the front door of the apartment open, dropping his grocery bags almost instantly. Bakura was curled up in one corner of the couch, his face buried in one couch cushion, sobbing.

"Bakura?!" Ryou asked, rushing over to the couch.

Bakura froze. _Ryou…? That's…Ryou's voice… _Bakura slowly lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot and red around the edges from his tears. It took him off guard when Ryou actually embraced him.

"Do you have any _idea_ how worried I've been?" Ryou asked after he released Bakura from his hug. "Why did you run off like that?"

Bakura could barely stand looking at Ryou. The albino's eyes were filled with relief yet intense anger. Bakura lowered his head, not speaking, sniffling as more tears slid down his face.

"Bakura, answer me. This has got to stop." Ryou said, hands on his hips. Malik chose to stay out of the conversation, putting the groceries away.

Bakura felt another burst of anger swell in his chest. "How do you expect it to stop?!" He screamed the words, bitter and hateful emotions rapidly building. "You never listen to me! You didn't even look for me when I went off! You don't care about me at all! You probably wish I would just go away and leave you alone! You hate me, don't you?!" Bakura bellowed, his tears forming again, but he held them back.

"Stop it!" Ryou screamed back, getting tired of it. "How many times do I have to say that I care?! You just don't understand!"

"Yeah, like you do?" Bakura snarled, on his feet. "Just quit lying to me! You're sick of me! You're tired of listening to me and looking at me and everything else! You hate me! You probably wish I'd just disappear! Would that make you happy?!" Bakura screamed, unable to hold the tears back anymore. "If I just vanished would you be happier?! Then I wouldn't weigh you down! You wouldn't have to worry about me and put up with me being a burden! You won't have to spend anymore of your precious time with me, even though you barely do!"

"Bakura!" Ryou screamed back, feeling like he was going to start crying too. "Just _stop_ it! Quit saying things like that!"

"I'm saying them because they're _true!"_ Bakura shouted the words as loud as he could.

Malik and Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou lunged, grabbing Bakura by his shirt collar and slammed him into the couch. "Ryou?!" Malik nearly screamed, coming out from behind the kitchen counter, surprised at the teen's outburst.

"Stop it, Bakura." Ryou nearly snarled the words, looking angry and upset all at the same time.

"See…? You don't care… You just get mad when I try to tell you anything… And now you're jumping down my throat over it…" Bakura whispered, crying.

"_Stop it!"_ Ryou screamed, a few tears falling down his face.

Bakura couldn't take it anymore.

Ryou gasped slightly as he felt Bakura's muscles tense. Bakura shoved Ryou, hard, sending him crashing backwards and into the coffee table, knocking it over. Bakura got to his feet and ran to the front door, his shoes still on, and ran out of the apartment, dragging his crutches behind him.

"Ryou, are you okay?" Malik asked frantically, going to Ryou's side. Ryou was shaking, wincing in pain. "That's probably going to leave a nasty bruise…"

"I deserved it… I didn't have a right to push him like that…" Ryou whispered, shakily getting to his feet. "I'm worried though… I can't go after him right now… He's still upset… But who knows where he's headed…?"

-

Somewhere…_anywhere_… Bakura was panting, barely able to run from his cast. Finally he had to stop. He sat down on an empty step of a closed office building, struggling to regain his breath. He didn't want to see Ryou. He didn't want to hear his voice or look at him… He just wanted to get away from him…

"Bakura?"

Bakura lifted his head, taken by surprise to see Marik standing there. "…Marik…what are you doing out here…?"

"I should be asking you that." Marik said simply. "I just got done with my shift. I have to go to the post office to mail the bills out. Now, you tell me why you're out here."

Bakura sniffled as Marik sat down beside him, and starting to cry all over again. He spilled out everything, every detail he could think of, nearly having a breakdown while doing so. Marik was quiet as he spilled out his emotions and the situations, until Bakura finished, and sobbed into his hands.

Marik sighed. "Bakura…of course Ryou still cares about you. He's just tired after his shift, like when Malik or me get off of work… I just think you're starting to get _really _lonely and bored…"

Bakura hiccupped. The two didn't notice the man watching them from across the street, a notepad on top of his folded newspaper.

"Come on. You can come with me for a little bit, and then we'll head home. I'll try to get this straight." Marik said, standing up.

Bakura slowly followed him down the sidewalk, sniffling. They never noticed the man following them.

Marik went to the post office, which wasn't too far away from the apartments. After dropping off their payments, they began to head in the direction of their home. "I know you're upset, but the sooner everything between you and Ryou gets straightened out, the better."

"He hates me." Bakura muttered, swinging himself down the sidewalk, as the two started down the small crook of sidewalk leading towards their apartment.

"No, Bakura. He cares. He's just like me when I get off work. He's tired and probably just wants something good to eat before getting a chance to relax…"

"You don't understand." Bakura murmured softly, rubbing at his now bloodshot eyes. He stopped in front of a building, leaning heavily on his crutches.

Marik turned away. "I told you I'd help you. Now come on."

Bakura started forward, but suddenly, he saw a pale hand shoot out around him. He managed to partially scream before the hand snapped around his mouth, another wrapping around his chest and pulled him back, around the corner of the building.

Marik stopped, and turned. "Bakura?" He called the man, seeing that he was gone, and that scream…

Bakura screamed, his cries muffled by the man's hand. With his leg broken, he couldn't run away… He tried to bite his attacker's hand, but merely got cuffed on the back of the head, drawing blood in an instant from the ring on the man's finger.

"Bakura? Come on, this isn't funny." Marik said, heading towards the building. He peered around the corner, and froze. His eyes widened, and he was about to punch the man, but he wasn't quick enough.

Bakura screamed loudly as one hand unfurled from his mouth before wrapping around the front of his throat. His captor roughly punched Marik in the face, drawing blood from his nose. As Marik fell down onto his rear from the heavy attack, the man crouched slightly with Bakura in tow, forcing a black cloth over the blonde's mouth and nose, forcing him to breathe. The tanned boy passed out nearly instantly.

Bakura fought weakly before the man shoved him into the wall, forcing the cloth over his mouth and nose. Suddenly the color of the brick blurred into a frenzy of a rainbow, his brain slowing down. He shifted his gaze to Marik, who looked like he was floating while unconscious. The world blurred into a massive smudge before he fainted, crumpling to the concrete.

* * *

"Wake up. Hey! I said wake up!"

Bakura whimpered someone kicked him. He slowly opened his eyes to see that same man hovering over him. He squinted. His attacker had a mess brown hair that fell over most of his face and angry looking bluish eyes. "W…What…"

He heard a creaking sound. He turned his head slowly to see himself tied to a stretcher, his hands and ankles completely tied to the bed with leather restraints. "What do you want with me?!"

He heard a muffled cry. His vision whirled across the room. He recognized this scenery… Partially… The walls were white, the floor was white, machinery and test tubes, papers and a glass wall… A familiar looking container… "Why am I in a lab?!" He screamed the words before he saw Marik.

Bakura swallowed hard. Marik actually looked scared… His shadowy lavender eyes were wide, pounding against the glass wall of the container. The door was closed, and he could see that it was locked. Marik was screaming, barely heard from the basically soundproof glass container. Bakura's eyes were wide with horror. Marik was down to his black boxers, and a liquid was rapidly filling up the space. There were at least three IV like objects in Marik's body, mostly in his wrists. He was screaming his lungs out desperately.

"A lab is where rats like you belong." The man muttered, and turned his back on Bakura.

Bakura noticed that he too was nearly naked, only in his boxers as well. He also noticed that his cast was slightly tattered, as if someone had tried to cut it, apparently his captor. Suddenly he heard a weird sound, like a phone ringing.

The attacker snarled, and rummaged through Marik's pants, which were carelessly thrown on the floor of the laboratory. He pulled out a small cell phone.

Bakura's eyes widened.

-

"It's ringing." Ryou whispered, having called Marik's cell phone to see if the man had seen Bakura. Suddenly someone picked up in a gruff voice. "Hello." It was a statement, not a question.

"Um, is Marik there?" Ryou asked. It didn't sound like the blonde clone at all…

"He's busy." The voice snarled.

Ryou's eyes widened. He could hear something in the background like people screaming. "Um… Is something wrong?"

The man was about to say no, when a loud shriek came from the phone. "RYOU! _RYOU!" _Ryou nearly dropped Malik's phone. He screamed back into the phone. "Bakura?! Bakura, is that you?!"

Suddenly the line went silent. The man had hung up.

-

Bakura watched the man as he turned off Marik's phone completely and threw it to the floor, luckily not breaking the device. The albino looked towards Marik, who was beginning to get submerged in the substance. As it happened, he watched as a substance traveled through the IV into Marik's arms, before his eyes fluttered shut and he fainted inside of the container.

He turned back to the man, who was changing into a white lab coat, and put on a small pair of glasses, and began to read the papers silently. Suddenly he took off his glasses and walked over to Bakura, looming over him like a shadow.

"What are you staring at?" Bakura snarled, his eyes narrowing. Suddenly he gasped as a needle stabbed into his arm. The man attached an IV to his right wrist.

Suddenly the world began to blur as the scientist put a weird substance into the IV. Bakura felt light enough to fly suddenly… _Drugs…? Painkillers…?_

"Just wait until tomorrow. Introductions will begin, along with your procedures. I'm sure you'll find my friend to be…familiar."

Bakura fainted.

-

"He hung up…" Ryou whispered, disconnecting the call. "…They're in trouble, Malik, I know they are… Some weird guy answered the phone and said Marik was busy… But then I could hear Bakura screaming in the background… But then he…he hung up on me… What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know…" Malik whispered. "But Marik had to be there with him, because the man picked up his cell phone…"

"But what if he just stole it from Marik?"

"Why would he go through the trouble of stealing a cell phone, and Bakura?"

The two fell silent, pondering it.

Ryou sniffed. "I can't believe this… Bakura was already feeling upset… Now things are even worse… If anything else happens to him, I don't think he'll be able to handle it… Ever since he was made, bad things have been happening… The lab, the colds, us getting beat up, the blizzard, and the car accident, and him feeling like this isn't helping…"

"We have to find them. Someone must've gotten hold of them on their way home or something."

"But who would want to kidnap Marik, let alone Bakura?"

There was silence.

"…It couldn't be a scientist from your lab…could it?" Malik asked.

"It burned to the ground. Yours, maybe?"

"Impossible. Marik and I were the only ones who got out in time. Then the building collapsed and caught on fire from the malfunctions…"

"We'll have to call the police…" Ryou whispered, and reluctantly dialed the number. The two boys felt their hearts sinking to the soles of their feet.

* * *

Chapter 16: End.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Huah! I updated! -victorious pose- XD

And this is getting a lot of reviews... :) Thanks guys. You really make my day, honest...

* * *

Bakura felt himself slowly awakening. He moaned weakly, his eyes fluttering open slowly. He found himself still tied to the stretcher, just like before. He didn't feel any different… _Maybe they didn't do anything to my body yet…_

He turned his head. Marik was still enclosed in the container, apparently still unconscious. He noticed that he was floating slightly, slumped against one of the glass walls.

While his mind slowly returned into focus, Bakura tried his best to think of some way to get free. _But I can't run away… And I don't even know where I am… And he said there's going to be two people, so it's going to get harder… Crap… I'm screwed… I'm going to be stuck in here forever and get tested on…_

Bakura could finally see perfectly. He began to hear footsteps, so he quickly closed his eyes and pretended that he was still out of it.

"So you've told him about me coming back."

Bakura felt his entire body go stiff. His breath hitched in his throat, and his heart began to beat so loud he thought someone else would be able to hear it… _No…_

"I'm sure he'll be surprised to see me."

-

Malik swallowed thickly, feeling like he was going to cry. Ryou already was, curled up on the cracked leather sofa, sobbing into his pale, slender hands. His shoulders shook and he hiccupped. The cops were outside. He fidgeted as he sat down next to Ryou, and looked at him, straining to keep his voice from shaking. "R…Ryou…I'm sure it'll be okay… We'll find them, I promise…"

Ryou didn't answer, and the only reply Malik received was harder cries from Ryou.

Suddenly the police came back inside. Ryou didn't look, and just kept crying. Malik got to his feet. "I'm sorry. He's really shaken up right now…"

"We understand. Now, does this look at all familiar?"

Malik froze. The cop held up one crutch. It was white and gray and had a few small lines or dents. There were stickers near the bottom, of all sorts. "…I…I…"

Ryou looked up, his eyes swollen and red and his chin trembling. More tears swelled in his eyes. "…T…That's…B…Bakura's…"

Malik nodded weakly. "Bakura put the stickers on there himself, and there's a label…" He murmured, pointing to the space beneath the arm support. There was a white label with Bakura's name written on it in his handwriting with a black marker, and a small smiley face Ryou had apparently drawn to make it a little more cheerful.

"B-Bakura wouldn't leave his crutch behind like that. And even if he did, it w-wouldn't be j-just one." Ryou stuttered, rubbing at his eyes. "S-Someone took him. B-Both of them."

"We can't report them as missing yet; not enough time has elapsed. However, we're going to ask around to see if anyone else knows about this."

-

Bakura slowly, almost fearfully, opened his eyes as someone starting to shake him. _Please… Please, don't let it be him…_

Bakura's heart clenched. His entire body stiffened as he saw the man with dark emerald eyes towering over him, black hair falling into his eyes. _No… No._

"Well, well, little rat. Seems we meet again."

Bakura growled low in his throat, but remained silent.

"Hmm. Angry, are we?"

"How do you expect me not to be?!" Bakura screamed, beginning to struggle on the stretcher, straining to get free. "You _kidnapped_ me!"

"And? That was your fault to begin with. If you hadn't destroyed the lab in the first place…" He trailed off.

Bakura growled, struggling, but to no avail. He couldn't get free…

"Calm down. We're going to untie you in a little while…"

"To do what? It's not like you're just going to untie me for no reason." Bakura snarled, pulling against the leather restraints.

"You'll fine out." Ryou's ex-boss turned to face the other man, who Bakura didn't recognize. "Get Marik out."

The other man didn't answer, but did so. Bakura noticed he was continuously scowling. He pressed one of the buttons, and the liquid inside began to drain. After it was gone, he opened the door, unhooking the machinery from Marik, before roughly dragging him out.

"Why?" Bakura asked, his arms nearly numb from fighting against the restraints. "Why did you create us? There's more to the story, I know it. You couldn't just have created me to get your business up or to give Ryou a raise…"

"…You were intended to be perfect. No will, no thoughts, no emotions. You were just meant to obey. But that process…your DNA was altered from your host's. You are only partially a clone. And on top of it, you're a failed experiment. You have everything we intended you not to have. And we're going to fix that. Now, come along." He finished abruptly, and starting pushing Bakura's stretcher.

_Impossible… I was just meant to be an empty shell that did whatever I was told? No! No, that can't be! _"E…Everything about me…was a failure?"

"Especially your heart. That was one of the biggest mistakes…"

_My heart…? _Bakura blinked, feeling his pulse inside of him, his heart currently racing in anxiety and fear. _I don't understand…_

Before he knew it, Bakura found that they were in a whole other room. It was darker and had an uneasy feeling… The green-eyed man stopped pushing his stretcher, and turned to the one with blue eyes. "Karu, hook him up."

Bakura turned his head to watch, before the strings of terror began to connect inside of him. "Marik!" He screamed, hearing a horrifying hum of machinery begin as it turned on. He was merely ignored. He watched, mortified, as the unconscious Marik was put down on a peculiar bed. "_Marik!"_

"Shut up!" the blue-eyed man, Karu, bellowed suddenly. "Shut him _up _Kai. I can't take him yelling anymore."

Bakura blinked. _Kai? Ryou never told me his boss was named that…_

Suddenly Kai was looming over him. "Just be quiet, little rat."

"I have a name!" Bakura screeched, anger pricking his insides. "Besides, how do you expect me not to be screaming?! You're going to operate on us and-"

"Not yet. First things first… We have to get samples to start with, and then get everything sorted out. Not to worry. Operations aren't going to come until later…"

"…W…What are you going to do?"

"Fix the mistakes, and perhaps, make you two even better than intended…"

Bakura swallowed thickly, a tight feeling in his chest… He was scared. And he realized it. _What about Ryou…? D…Does…he even care that I'm gone right now?_

Bakura tugged weakly against his restraints, utterly exhausted. He couldn't feel his arms or legs. The lights in the room were dim, and every once in a while he could turn his head, and manage to peer around his captors' backs, to see Marik on the table.

Slowly, Bakura could feel his senses fading. Exhausted, he soon fell into a sleep almost identical to unconsciousness.

"We'll need to test Bakura tomorrow. I doubt we can fit them both into the schedule by tonight…"

* * *

_Ryou hesitantly lowered himself into the reddish substance. He went towards the bottom._

_He watched his copy open his eyes._

_It was the first time. Ryou swallowed as he looked into his copy's eyes, which were dark, and confused. Bakura was nearly strapped down to the container from so much medical equipment… "Who are you?"_

_Ryou could hear him perfectly. There was no uncertain twisting of any kind from the liquid… Then things were currently correct…_

"_Hook him up!"_

_Ryou nodded, and came forward. Bakura looked at him with huge, confused orbs, before Ryou roughly injected a needle into his bare skin. Bakura gave a loud cry, and jerked backwards. Ryou managed to keep a firm hold on the needle and forced the liquid inside, and Bakura began to whimper._

_Bakura slowly calmed, and Ryou watched, able to see the man's eyes falling only halfway closed, and was calm. Ryou hurriedly pried out the cords, strapping them to Bakura's chest, like he had been instructed._

"…_This can't be right!" A man with reddish hair peered closer at the computer monitor. "…He…has a pulse?"_

"_Impossible… His heart isn't supposed to beat…"_

_The man hit a button on the keyboard, and brought up several pictures on contact. He turned to the second of the two, who had black hair with glasses. "…He has memories."_

"_Of what? He hasn't woken up before…"_

"_Look." He hit another key. Pictures instantly formed; pictures of the process, and those memories of when Bakura's body was just being created…_

"…_Delete them. He can't have any memories." The black haired man hurriedly pressed the button on the far end. "It will only mess up the process."_

_Ryou gasped, watching in terror. Bakura gave a violent spasm, his eyes rolling back. A powerful cough racked his body, and Ryou watched the air leave him. His body shook like a leaf in the wind, and suddenly, he stopped moving._

"_It stopped! Get him out of there!"_

_Ryou felt himself panicking as he undid all of the equipment from Bakura's body, forcing himself to carry him to the surface. He broke it, and no sooner, people were racing, rushing and strapping Bakura to a stretcher. Ryou took the towel off the rack, and ran._

_He managed to keep in pace with the stretcher, where Bakura's body was going into massive convulsion, shaking and rocking the stretcher. His eyes returned to normal for mere seconds, and they locked with Ryou's. "…H…Help…me…"_

_His eyes rolled back again. And his memories disappeared into nothingness as he fainted._

Ryou's eyes shot open, sitting bolt upright, curling a fist about his chest.

Suddenly Malik came into the room, his hair matted from sleep. "What happened? I heard you yelling…"

"J-Just a…a bad dream…" Ryou said quietly, looking away, and out the window. "A-A memory…"

"Oh…" Malik sat down on the couch beside Ryou. "I'm sure they'll be found soon, Ryou. They couldn't have gone far… And the police already have a bit of evidence…"

Ryou sniffled, and nodded, rubbing at his eyes. "…I…I just don't understand it. W…Who would want to take them like that?"

"I don't know." Malik answered, nibbling on his bottom lip. "…Marik should've been able to fight back… This doesn't make sense… Whoever kidnapped them must've taken Marik out somehow… And then took care of Bakura…"

Ryou sniffed. "That guy…who answered Marik's phone… That _had _to be him, Malik… I'm sure of it… Bakura was screaming…"

"T-They'll be fine." Malik said quickly, but deep down, he wasn't quite sure if he believed it. "We'll find them."

"…I hope so…" Ryou said softly, and wrapped the blankets tighter, burying his head in the pillow.

Malik watched tears slowly trail down the boy's face.

"I never got to tell him I was sorry…" Ryou whispered, closing his eyes, more crystal droplets flowing down his cheeks.

* * *

Chapter 17: End. 


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Gah. I know, I know... I haven't been updating as quick... -.- I'm trying, though... but you know, with school and stuff... Bleh. I'm trying to get caught up, though! Thanks for your patience!

* * *

Bakura slowly opened his eyes. He blinked hazily, and looked around, finding that the area around him had changed. The room was pitch black. He found that he was on a completely flat surface, what he guessed was supposed to be a bed… Suddenly light flooded the room. Bakura voluntarily tried to cover his eyes, to find that he was tied to the hard, completely flat mattress with handcuffs. He looked around, panicking slightly, to see Marik in the other corner, tied on top of a bed as well. He noticed that one wall was made of what appeared to be glass, and through it, stood Kai, watching them. 

Bakura quickly sat up, his arms pinned painfully backwards, unable to move them much. Luckily his feet were free. He put his feet to the floor, and tried to free himself.

Suddenly there was a click, apparently from a loudspeaker. "It's worthless, little rat. As if you can get handcuffs off without a key."

Bakura growled, and moved his arm violently in a near desperate attempt to free his hands, sending the cuffs into a frenzy of jangling, but nothing happened. Bakura swore, and lunged. He fell forward, and the cuffs pulled out just enough for him to fall to the floor, and he couldn't move any farther outward.

"Pathetic. So dense… By the way, we've already done tests for both of you. You've both been asleep for two days, as a matter of fact."

_Impossible… _Bakura looked at himself. He noticed puncture marks on his arms and his stomach had a healing cut on it. "What did you do?!"

"All we did was test you. Simple. Don't fret. Testing starts today. Now, I guess I'll let you have a little more time with your memories before they all go away." He laughed, and left.

Bakura felt his insides twist. He felt dizzy, and utterly sick to his stomach. He got to his feet and crawled back onto the bed, feeling like he was going to scream or throw up. Suddenly he heard Marik moan. He looked in the direction, the tanned boy rolling over slightly, but not completely, for the handcuffs disabled the movement.

"Marik? Marik, can you hear me?" Bakura asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

"Ugh… What happened? Where am I?"

"We're in…a…a lab…" Bakura's voice dropped to a trembling whisper. "Ryou's previous boss…a-and yours, maybe, are here… T-They said they've already taken tests on us… H-He said we've been asleep for two days…a-and that they're going to start operating today… Am…I really going to get my memories taken away? That's what that guy said-"

"Bakura, calm down!" Marik shouted, seeing the fact Bakura was shaking and struggling to keep his voice from doing the same, sounding close to tears. "We'll find a way to get out of this. Ryou and Malik will find us, I'm sure of it. And if they don't, someone else will. We'll see them again, Bakura."

Suddenly the door burst open, making the two teenagers jump. Kai and Karu entered, each pushing a stretcher. Marik snarled instantly towards Karu. "_You _again?"

"Oh, yes." Kai suddenly smirked. "Marik, your host's boss is here, and little rat, I think you remember me quite well… Seems we all know each other…"

The two teens put up a weak fight to their captors, but not being fed since they arrived, they were weak and nauseous. It wasn't long before the two were each tied to a stretcher and being wheeled down the hallway, into that familiar, dim, cold room.

_Ryou… _Bakura turned his head, staring weakly at the wall. _He… He probably isn't even looking for me…_

Bakura was forced to sit up to witness Marik's process, since the blonde was going first. He was taken from the stretcher onto a weird platform. Bakura and Marik both gasped as Karu roughly grabbed Marik's arm and stabbed a long needle in, instantly injecting a weird colored substance. As Marik slowly calmed, they connected several cords to Marik's chest and the back of his neck. Bakura watched fearfully from his stretcher.

Bakura didn't understand what was going on. They were taking weird medical devices and hooking them up to Marik, mostly on his chest and around the area of his neck or head. Then Karu went to the computers, and hit a button on the peculiar keyboard. Bakura gasped lightly. It brought up thousands of images on contact… It consisted mostly of Marik and Malik…

"Save them first, just in case." Kai said, tossing a weird device at Karu, who caught it, plugged it in, and hit another key. Suddenly the computer spoke in a flat voice: "Transferring."

There was a beep, and after removing the device, Karu hit another button, this time on the far end. The computer spoke again. "Memories deleted."

Bakura's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and his gaze flew to Marik, who was going into a spasm, his eyes going back, shaking. "M-Ma…lik…"

Bakura watched, terrified, as Marik let out a scream, before his eyes went dark and rolled backwards, and he fainted.

Bakura watched with horrified eyes as Kai began to pick up equipment, slicing open parts of Marik's chest. Bakura felt his heart beat so fast it seemed like it would burst, and a massive wave of dizziness fell over him. Bile rose into his throat as his stomach seemed to be turned upside down. He managed to give an ear-shattering scream before collapsing onto his back upon the stretcher.

-

"Ryou, why don't you just tell them what happened in the first place?"

Ryou sniffed, sipping at a cup of coffee Malik made for him. "I c-can't. Laboratory work…it…was illegal there… If they figured out I worked in a lab in a section it was banned… You don't have any clue how bad that would make things…"

"So you'd rather Bakura and Marik possibly _die _than tell someone?! Ryou, telling someone about the lab can make everything different…"

"Look, if you want them to know so badly, tell them about your lab incidents…"

"Fine! I will!" Malik snapped, but Ryou could see his chin trembling. It wasn't long before Malik's wall crumbled, and he burst into tears. "…If…Marik dies…" He shook his head, burying his face in his hands. "I don't… I don't know what to do… If something bad happens to him… I can't do this by myself… I can't, I can't, I _can't_…"

"Malik, c-calm down!" Ryou said, panicking a little by Malik's breakdown. "He's a tough guy… H-He'll be fine-"

"No he won't!" Malik screamed. "He may be strong but that doesn't compare to what some people can do, Ryou… They can do anything they want these days…" Malik sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. "Bakura and Marik probably can't even protect themselves… Whoever took them is probably taking the advantage over them…"

"…I can't take this much longer." Ryou whispered, pulling his knees up to his chest, sniffing.

-

He let out another scream. He just screamed and screamed. He couldn't take it anymore. Everything around him spun and blurred in a violent frenzy, his mind flashing with images that were obviously his memories. Finally he began to choke on air and he couldn't scream anymore. He whimpered quietly, straining to hold in tears that were pushing at his eyes.

Suddenly they were hovering over him, Bakura's tear-filled eyes narrowing as the needle came towards his arm. "Leave me _alone!"_

The lights began to flicker. Bakura snarled, and lunged, the leather restraints breaking like wrapping paper. Bakura leapt to his feet and bolted.

It was only when he was sprinting did he realize that his cast was gone. Yet he didn't slow to ponder it. He just kept running, tearing down the halls. His breath soon turned into loud gasps, straining to take in enough air.

Thunder suddenly boomed and Bakura could see lightning straining through the pulled curtains. He could feel his heart racing. _"The biggest mistake was your heart." I don't understand! Someone… Please… Anyone, help me…_

Bakura grabbed the doorknob of a closed door and pulled. The door ripped open, and he hurried inside, closing the door silently before racing to find somewhere to hide. He bolted to the corner, sliding behind the bookshelves and table and held his breath, struggling to keep calm. It wasn't long before he felt himself shaking all over again. He slid to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest, and sobbed. He couldn't hold in the tears. _Help me… Someone… Anyone… I…I don't… I don't want this to happen to me… Please…_

He held his breath as he heard footsteps. He wiped away the tears and curled his hand over his beating heart. His pulse seemed so loud that everyone could hear it… _Please… Please, don't…_

Bakura's heart plummeted to the soles of his feet. The doorknob turned and the door roughly opened, revealing Karu, who angrily stomped into the room. Kai followed, holding a small case in his left hand. "Come out, little rat. We know you're in here."

Bakura said nothing, hoping they would leave and go off to another area. He was numb with fear. For some reason being in this room felt eerily familiar… He didn't like it… Sharp, thick needles were sitting in open containers, medical equipment and papers everywhere. Bakura felt himself tremble. He scooted backwards, bumping into a bookshelf. His heart froze as he watched, terrified, as a book toppled before dropping to the floor with a thump.

His captors noticed. Kai smiled, "Well, well."

Bakura screamed as he was seized, each of his arms being grabbed instantly. They dragged him out of the room, Bakura screeching, kicking, and fighting against them. Soon he couldn't hold in the tears. He gave up, going limp in their grips, and didn't fight back as they pulled him back into that cold, horrifying room…

"Well, now. I think he's given up." Kai said, grinning down at him.

Bakura didn't say anything, letting the tears trail down his face. He couldn't stop. He didn't even try to push them away when they hooked up an oxygen mask to his face and began to attach the equipment to his body. He was empty, without any strength left…

_R…Ryou… You…liar… Why aren't you looking for me…? You…don't…care…do you…?_

He watched hazily as Karu was given another device, this one white, and Marik's was purple. He hooked it up to the computer and he heard the computer again: "Transferring."

He felt weird. Like he was floating yet in the deepest trench… His heart felt like it was slowing down… He couldn't move, barely able to breathe… He took a shuddering gasp, trying to get some air.

The last thing he saw of the lab was Karu press a button on the keyboard.

His brain went into a massive, uncontrollable frenzy. The room spun and blurred into a severe rainbow of colors and the lines seemed to dip and stretch. The voices around him began to change, and he felt himself fading away…

The computer spoke again. "Memories deleted."

They watched in satisfaction as Bakura's body twitched as it went into an extreme spasm. Bakura's mind was like a whirlwind. Things were fading fast, getting blown around… He couldn't think straight… Suddenly his mind went blank…

Darkness swallowed him whole.

They watched his eyes turn black before rolling backwards, going so utterly limp on the operating bed…

"Perfect. This is just perfect…" Kai mused, hovering over them. "Things are working just as I planned…"

"Now, tell me." Karu said, still scowling, arms folded across his chest. "Who is getting what treatment?"

"I'm a little unsure of what Marik will be getting. Our main problem is Bakura… I think we should start with him. Put Marik in the container for me." Kai said, watching his partner carry Marik and stick him once more into that all-too-familiar glass container. He closed the door, pressed the button, and liquid flowed inside.

"We must change everything. Bakura is completely imperfect… We must start over…while still having him in the same physical form…"

"Understood."

* * *

Chapter 18: End. 


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Yay another update. XD I'm trying to get a move on with 'The Dark Arts', so hopefully it won't be much longer... OBJECTION! Lol, does anyone play the 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney' series? It kicks butt. XD

**Nijiyume:** Aww that's so sweet. :) I'm glad you like the story so much... I'm not really sure of what kind of story I'm going to post next, but let's just say I have a lot of ideas...

**Spidey meets Wizard-Theif:** Wow. Looks like someone is really eager... XD

**saternoutlaw:** Yay! Cookie! -eats it- XD Gah. Sorry about the ending to the last chapter, I think I do that sort of thing a lot...

**Journey Maker:** Let's just say they take some action this chapter. ;)

**dragonlady222:** The memories plays a key in the story a bit later on...

* * *

Marik fought weakly against the darkness that was grasping him. He managed to break free of it, and opened his heavy eyes. He could see, but just he couldn't hear… His awakening was unnoticed… 

He saw Bakura. The teen was limp and pale on the operating bed, an oxygen mask over his face. He could see bloody equipment and needles littered on the table. But he didn't know who he was.

His mind was blank. He didn't recognize anything. He didn't even know who or what he _was… _He pressed his hands to the glass, watching with a fearful curiosity.

He didn't get to watch long.

The IV in his arm suddenly had a fluid going into it, and it was mere seconds before he passed back out.

-

Ryou felt tears press towards his eyes. He sniffed, desperately trying to hold them back. He hand tightened on the crutch, which he had dragged along. He didn't even remember why he did in the first place…

He was sitting on the boardwalk. How he got there was still a bit of a blur… Malik said something about them possibly being able to have a hideout underground near the docks… Ryou didn't really remember much of the conversation…

He stared down at the small waves beneath his feet, the crutch lying beside him at his hip. He felt so useless… So worried he felt like he was going to be sick…

_What if I'm too late…? It's been three and a half days already… Anything could've happened by now…_

He didn't even realize Malik was there until he put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Ryou didn't answer, his right hand automatically going towards his face. He didn't even know he was crying…

Malik sighed, and sat down beside him. Ryou put his head in his hands, sobbing. Malik strained not to cry as well, for the search resulted in a dead end. "Ryou… Most of them were locked up… But they couldn't have gone far… We'll just keep looking, okay? Come on. We need to head home."

Ryou sniffed and slowly got to his feet. Malik lead the way with Ryou slowly following.

* * *

"Shall we test it out?" 

"I don't see why not." Kai said, leaning against the table. "He still has a heartbeat, but we should see what's going on inside his head first. I tried to alter his physical abilities. We'll see how that works out."

There were a few minutes of silence as Bakura was unhooked from the equipment. Seconds after everything was disconnected, Bakura's eyes shot open.

"Get up." Kai said, showing no emotion in the demand.

Bakura looked at him for a second or two, his eyes solid black, not comprehending.

"Get up." Kai said again, making sure to keep his tone flat.

Slowly, Bakura did as he was told, propping himself up on slightly shaking arms, before sitting upright entirely. He stared blankly at them, no emotion on his face, his eyes empty.

"Stand."

He obeyed without a word, slowly making his way to his feet, although he had to use support from the operating bed at first to stay balanced. He stared at them as they whispered to each other, but said nothing, and his expression did not change.

"Well, we're going to send you on a little trip…" Kai muttered, rummaging through a drawer. He pulled out Bakura's clothes that he had been wearing upon his arrival. "Now get dressed."

He did so without a word, pulling on the jeans and slipping on his shirt. He stared blankly at them, eyes barely blinking, no emotion on his face…

Kai handed him a small slip of paper and a box of matches. "Find that address. Do not let anyone see those matches. When you get there, find a way inside, and use the matches. Get out without being seen and report here. Understood?"

Bakura nodded ever so slightly, although he did not fully comprehend. He followed them to the front door, and slipped outside without a word.

* * *

His mind was empty. He had no thoughts, except for his 'mission'. That's all he could hear, going through his brain. _Find it, use the matches, and get out. _And it kept going and going in a cycle. 

He looked at the small slip of paper. It had a picture on it. Bakura didn't understand exactly what it was a picture of, but it had 'apartment' written under it. _Find these apartments._

People stared. Bakura did not move his head as he looked around, merely moving his eyes. He didn't speak. And when he looked at other people, they quickly looked away from the empty void inside his black eyes.

He kept going. Time passed. And then he saw a tall set of buildings that matched the picture. He turned on the sidewalk automatically, and went forward.

He stayed on the sidewalk, and stared at the buildings. He kept going forward, not paying attention to anything else. One foot then the other…

Soon he reached the set of apartments. He stood at the base, his head tilted slightly upwards to scan the front of the buildings for the matching numbers. Soon he saw it. He walked up the wooden stairs, focused. Soon he was standing in front of it, staring at the white paint and windows. He couldn't see inside, for there were curtains blocking his view. He made his way to the front door, and stopped. _…Without being seen…_

His grip tightened on the little box of matches as he reached for the doorknob.

-

Malik sighed. Ryou was behind him, deathly quiet, not saying a word. Each of them had two grocery bags in their hands. "Ryou, _please_."

Ryou said nothing.

Malik stopped. Ryou didn't even notice, running into Malik instantly. He yelped quietly, stepping back abruptly, but not meeting Malik's gaze. "…Sorry…"

Malik sighed heavily. "Ryou… Moping around isn't solving anything."

Ryou felt tears form in his eyes, and he strained to hold them in. "I…I can't help it, Malik… He was all I had… I…don't know where he is or what's happening to him…"

"Ryou, we just have to keep looking. The police already know. They told me they're already sending out messages and such…" Malik turned, leading the way up the wooden stairs to their apartment. "They'll turn…" Malik stopped.

The two were standing in front of the apartment door. There was one problem. The front door was standing wide open.

"Stay quiet. Follow me, okay?" Malik said, completely serious. Without letting Ryou ask, he went inside, the two hefting their groceries in with them.

They left the bags on the counter. Ryou blinked, watching as Malik grabbed a bat that was standing behind the front door. They started down the hallway, but stopped. There was a small glow… Malik raised his weapon. "Who's back there?!"

-

Bakura froze. _I've…been spotted… _He didn't move, staring at the little flame that was swallowing the match. It was seconds later before the little fire in his hands went out.

Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps. He felt strange… Something was beating in his chest… There was a swishing noise, and he lunged out. His hand curled around the bat that was swung at him. But he said nothing.

-

Ryou's eyes widened as light flooded the hallway as he flipped on the switch. Bakura was standing there, tightly grasping Malik's weapon with no emotion on his face. "…B…Bakura?!"

His first instinct was to run towards the albino, but… He had the weirdest feeling… Bakura didn't seem all there… "Bakura? Are you…okay?"

The man looked at him, but said nothing.

Malik took a step back, letting go of his weapon. Bakura dropped it as well, yet continued to hold on to his burned out match.

Ryou ran finally ran forward. "Bakura… Where have you been? Do you have any idea how much…I…" he stopped. Bakura was staring down at him, no emotion on his face, his eyes raven black and empty. "…Bakura…?"

Bakura's pupils noticeably contracted as Ryou reached towards him with a slender hand. In milliseconds Bakura's own hand shot out, grabbing Ryou's wrist with a crushing force. Ryou screamed instantly at Bakura's grasp, which was tightening rapidly.

"What are you _doing?!" _Malik screamed. "Let go of him! Where's Marik?! Where have you been all this time?! And why won't you say anything?!"

Bakura didn't move.

Malik growled, swinging outwards, trying to punch the man. Bakura did even blink. His free hand shot out, and he punched Malik before he even came close. Ryou gasped, tears in his eyes, as Malik was sent tumbling backwards before slamming into the wall, slumping to the floor.

"Bakura… What are you…" Ryou fell silent, seeing the box of matches. "…Y…You…were going to burn the apartment down…? Bakura what's gotten in to you?! Why would you do something like that?!"

_It's…going wrong… Go back… I have to go back…_

Ryou gasped, letting out a cry as Bakura flung him across the hallway, the teenager slamming against the wall. Ryou whimpered, lifting his head in time to see Bakura darting across the living room with amazing speed. He raced after him.

Bakura sprinted out the door, jumped onto the railing, and leapt. Ryou got there seconds later. "Bakura!" He screamed, hands curled over the balcony.

Bakura didn't look back, landing with perfection. He took off seconds later, racing up the sidewalk towards town.

He heard Malik moan. Ryou turned away and ran quickly back inside, seeing Malik staggering up onto his feet. Blood oozed down his face. "Unh… Where'd he go…?"

"He ran off… Should I go after him? Do you-"

Malik interrupted. "…N…No. He already has a head start… There wouldn't be a point…"

Ryou helped him to the couch, Malik nursing his aching head.

"Why would he try to burn down our apartment, though? And he was silent the entire time…" Ryou mused quietly.

"…Did…you see his eyes?" Malik asked, looking up as he wiped the blood on his jeans.

"They…were black… That isn't normal for him…" Ryou trailed off. "Malik… I had a feeling that Bakura wasn't exactly…'all there'. I mean…he was acting really strange…"

Malik nodded. "But Marik wasn't here…"

"Then he must be with the captors. Malik… I really hate to say this, but… I think a scientist has them. There's no other explanation…"

Malik nodded slowly. "…We have to find them."

* * *

Chapter 19: End. 


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: So I'm updating more now. Yay. 8D Um, yeah. Darkest Days pretty much summarizes what went on, so go there if you're curious er whatever. XD

* * *

"What do you mean you were spotted?!"

The most Bakura did was blink as Karu hit him. The blow was harsh, and right across his face, but he didn't seem to feel pain…

Bakura mechanically reached out, extending his hand with the tiny box of matches still there. He said nothing, watching without blinking as one of them swiped the box away.

"You're pathetic! One simple task and you already blow it!"

"Look, calm down." Kai said, far more collected, one hand on Karu's shoulder. "Bakura."

He lifted his head just slightly, a splash of red across his face.

"You'll have another chance, yet you're going to have a different assignment. We can't risk you being seen again by those _children…"_

Bakura's black eyes blinked once, listening silently.

"…The people that live in that apartment are merely children. They know nothing." He repeated, knowing Bakura more than likely didn't understand.

Bakura stared down at the floor. He felt so weird… Some strange thing was beating in his chest, and for some reason, he couldn't fully comprehend…

"Perfection." Bakura looked up, unblinking, confused by those words. "That's what you were intended to be. You were a failure, Bakura." Kai growled, arms folded across his chest. "Ever from the start. Your heart beats, you had feelings, you spoke… You did everything we didn't want you to do!"

He couldn't answer. He didn't understand…

"Whatever. Go to bed. We need to talk about this."

Bakura nodded slightly. He felt strange when he spoke. Those weird vibrations in his throat that seemed alien… He didn't like this feeling… That weird object kept beating in his chest… He walked mechanically down the hallway and into that empty room that seemed like a cell, the flat bed and chains hanging from the bed…

_Children, matches, perfection, intended, spotted…_

Those words… They were so strange… They didn't stop. They just kept echoing into his brain… His arm muscles tensed as he pressed his hands against his head, trying to block them out… But they wouldn't…

He screamed.

-

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ryou asked, sitting beside Malik on the sofa.

"Yeah… My head still hurts a bit though…" Malik said quietly, fingering the bandage tied about his head. He had been cut after hitting the corner of the walls.

"Do you need some medicine or something? He hit you quite hard…"

"I said I'm fine…" Malik repeated, staring at the floor.

Ryou nibbled on his bottom lip, looking off into space.

"…You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Malik asked, looking at Ryou.

"…I… I can't help it… I mean…he was gone for so long… And now he's gone again… You saw the way he looked at us… He didn't seem to understand anything…"

Ryou buried his face in his pale hands, taking a trembling breath. "…I… I don't… Malik… They could be doing anything to them…"

"I know… I know." Malik said softly, head in one hand. "Marik is still gone, remember…?"

Ryou nodded silently, not looking at him. _Bakura…_

-

"Bakura, hold _still!"_

Bakura snarled, before screaming, hands curling up. His eyes flashed brown, the shadows flickering in his dark eyes.

"We have to put him away. He isn't ready for this."

Bakura snarled, struggling. He began to blink more, his dark eyes filling with a small prick of panic. Then as they grabbed his arm, he screamed, before the needle was injected into his skin.

The last thing he saw was a blurry image of four people, two albinos and two blondes, before he faded away into darkness.

"This isn't right." Kai said, dropping Bakura roughly onto the table with a _thump. _"Maybe we should send Marik out. He's been inside that glass for almost a week, hasn't he?"

They both turned to the glass container, where the tanned teenager was.

"…Guess it's time to switch."

* * *

It was raining. Ominous clouds threatened to bring heavier droplets or lightning, covering the sky. Ryou and Malik darted out from under the shelter, running across the strip of walkway for pedestrians, making sure to look first.

Ryou shook his head, trying to remove his white, now flattened hair of water. "It was so sunny earlier…and now it's pouring down rain…"

"Well, things just happen I guess." Malik said, going under the shelter once again with Ryou right behind.

* * *

People were whispering. He could hear each of their conversations perfectly, and he wasn't even close to them. _"Why is he just sitting there?" … "It's pouring down rain and he's on that bench… It's like he doesn't even notice it's raining…" … "Mommy, why is that man staring at the street like that?"_

He felt himself blink. He lifted his gaze only, not his head. He was soaked, along with his hair, which fell into his eyes now. He stood slowly, and started down the sidewalk, not bothering to stand under the shelter, and just walked in the rain.

It wasn't long before he reached the middle of town. Four crosswalks ran along, slicing into the streets. He glanced around once with his eyes, seeing a small blur of figures, including a few teenagers with their friends. He paid it no mind and waited.

"_Let's see if you can do any better… Marik. We want you to kill those boys."_

He just stood there. People occasionally stopped and stared at him, raising their eyebrows at him, whispering to each other. Often people would just hurry around him to cross the street.

"_Psychopath…" … "He's just standing there in the rain…" … "And he's staring at the street…" … "He acts like there's always cars in the way. Even when it's safe to cross he just stands there and keeps staring…"_

The timer went off in his pocket. He pried it out and stared at the little red numbers, the device still beeping. The screen read 7:00 P.M. Marik, without a word, threw it into the street like he had been told to do. He left without looking back, and heard a crack as one of the incoming cars erased the evidence.

-

Ryou remained on the floor, sitting upon his knees, sketching a little picture on a scrap sheet of paper he had found. The lights were off, and the only lighting was the glow from the lamp. Malik was in the armchair with the newspaper in his lap, folded up, the blonde teenager in a deep sleep from exhaustion.

Ryou's head nodded a few times. He was trying to stay awake, but soon, he couldn't. The black pen fell from his now open hand, and his head fell against the tabletop.

-

He was picking the lock.

Marik growled to himself, dark eyes narrowing. Suddenly he heard the lock click, and he gently pushed the door open. It made a quiet _creak, _but luckily no one seemed to be around to hear it. Marik looked about.

Two bodies were in the adjoined living room. Marik blinked just once, seeing that they were indeed asleep. With silent steps he crossed the room and approached them. He glanced down at the sleeping albino teenager. White hair hid most of his face, and Marik noticed a piece of paper with pictures and words written all over it. One word pricked at his mind a bit, written with fine black lines: Bakura. It…seemed familiar… Somehow…

He glanced over his shoulder at the other boy. The one with hair like his, with features like his, and clothes like his… It was strange, to say the least…

He reached into his pockets, and pulled out the materials. He set them in a line along the table silently. He had, indeed, came prepared.

He had been wearing gloves all day. He wasn't stupid. No, not even close. There was no way he'd leave prints behind. At least, that's what those two men said not to do… They told him to _always _wear the black gloves on his hands, and to _never _take them off… So he obeyed.

He glanced at the items. A sharp pocketknife, a small silver lighter, and a bottle of pills.

Those men told him to give them the pills, dangerous medicine that could easily stop the heart. He had been told to cut until they bled, getting the blood and bringing it along. And last, he must burn the apartment down.

It was too easy to pull off in his eyes.

He picked up the pills and took off the cap, taking out two capsules. It was the typical dose, and the medicine's purpose was unknown to him… He looked at the pale boy, head on the desk, mouth open just slightly. It was _too easy._

He poured about four more of the capsules into his hand. He crept through the kitchen attached, and fished out a glass. He crushed up the pills and easily mixed it with the slightest amount of water…

And then he was at the pale boy's side again. He grumbled to himself as the albino shifted, mouth hidden by his arms. He then turned to the blonde one, who was still, head hanging backwards perfectly.

He was in front of him then, merely inches away. He reached forward, hand outstretched… And then Malik's eyes flew open.

They stared at each other for mere seconds before Malik started to let out a scream. He was cut off when Marik covered his mouth with his hand, putting a crushing force into his grip.

But by then it was too late. Ryou jolted up, awake in a flash from the noise. He stared with wide eyes. "Marik… Marik, what are you doing?"

Malik pulled away, viciously slapping Marik's hands away. The glass flew to the floor, shattering into pieces, the fatal mix of medicine oozing onto the floor. Malik was shaking. "…Y…You're not Marik."

The other didn't even blink.

"Y-You're not! They changed you! I know it! You wouldn't sneak in here like this if-" Malik was abruptly cut off as Marik grabbed his neck with a crushing force. Malik gasped as Marik squeezed harder, and it wasn't long before the world around him was spinning.

"Stop it!" Ryou screamed, slamming himself the best he could into Marik. Marik didn't stumble at all. He turned, looked at Ryou, and released Malik, who began to cough, clutching gingerly at his neck.

Ryou swallowed fearfully. Marik was, to say the least, different. His eyes were pitch black, slightly taller than before, sturdier; Ryou was even more fearful than before, when he first saw him…

Marik lunged, grabbing Ryou with unimaginable speed, and slammed him into the nearby wall. Ryou felt something rise into his throat but he held it back.

The next thing he knew he was on the floor, Marik pinning down his arms with a force that nearly broke his bones, gloved hands curled over his forearms.

"Marik… Marik, stop! Leave him alone!" Malik screamed, rushing towards the pair. "…I…I'm your original. Not Ryou. You were made from me, not Ryou… Leave him alone, Marik… Please…"

He ignored him. He kept Ryou pinned down, the albino struggling madly, and reached for the pill bottle that wasn't too far away.

"_Stop it!"_

Ryou's eyes widened. Malik was behind Marik instantly, but what confused Ryou the most, was that instead of a fight, Malik was _hugging_ Marik…

"Stop… Please, just stop…" Malik whispered, unable to hold back tears anymore. He just cried…

Ryou swallowed fearfully as he watched Marik's pupils dilate, and the grip slackened just slightly. Ryou scampered out from his grip and Malik just sat there, hugging his duplicate and sobbing into the back of his shirt.

There was nothing but silence, that was slightly broken from Malik's sobs.

Marik didn't move.

* * *

Chapter 20: End.

OKAY PEEPS. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS.

Not Exact Reflection will probably be over pretty soon. Once that's done I'm going to finish up my other fics. Once that happens, I'll post new ones. The question is, I want to know a base from what the readers want. What genre do you guys lean towards the most? Which type would you like to see me work on the most? I have some ideas but honestly, I do know which I want to do first. So, I need your help! Please tell me in the reviews what you guys are interested in and I'll let you know what's going to happen. THANKS!


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: RAGH. Late update. D: Sorry I've been making you wait so darn long. But this story isn't going to be much longer, so it's getting kind of difficult to work out everything of how I want it. But I'm getting there!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Something in his brain just stopped working. Things around him just stopped moving, and for a moment, his vision darkened to black.

Then everything came back in a rushing, massive flow. First all he could hear was deafening silence, but it became cracked, a slight sobbing sound interrupting.

He could feel something around him. He could see a set of arms.

That boy was _hugging_ him.

The albino boy was not too far away, his back pressed against the wall, staring with wide, chocolate eyes. He decided to instead focus on the blonde one. He felt every muscle tense up suddenly.

He had to obey. He didn't understand the boy's behavior at all, but it didn't matter. All he had to do was eliminate him… He could hear the boy's rapid heartbeat and cries, but it didn't make a difference. He had to get him out of the way. _Destroy them._

Marik roughly stood up, making his look-a-like let go of him and remain on the floor. His eyes shone with tears and he trembled, apparently in anguish instead of fear.

"…M…Marik… I know you're in there somewhere… Don't you remember? Don't you remember _me? _I'm Malik… _Remember?"_ Malik found himself standing up as he spoke. "That lab… It made you out of me… We only had each other…and…" Malik trailed off and reached towards Marik with one slender hand, suppressed tears unable to be held back any longer.

Marik growled low in his throat, and lunged. He grabbed Malik's wrist in a crushing grip, and advanced forward.

Malik gasped as a fire of pain started up his wrist from Marik's bone crushing grip. He whimpered slightly, trying to pull away. "M-Marik…"

"I have a mission to fulfill." Marik stated suddenly. He had no emotion in his voice, no tone. His voice was flat, yet slightly deeper than before…

Malik's lavender eyes were wide with terror.

Suddenly the small apartment was spinning around. Marik yanked him across the room, and the next thing he knew, the blade of the pocketknife was against his throat, Marik's fingers laced about his neck.

Malik swallowed hard.

"Malik!" Ryou started to run forward, but abruptly stopped as Marik pressed the knife closer until it pricked Malik's skin. A few rubies of blood swelled and fell from the slight cut.

For some reason, he didn't want to eliminate the blonde boy first… He wanted to get rid of the albino…

He was just waiting for him to come closer…

"R-Ryou… G-Go get help…" Malik whispered. His hands were shaking, and he was terrified. Right down to the bones was fear. Cold, agonizing fear.

"R-Right…!" Ryou started to run towards the door. But he didn't get far.

Malik blinked and looked up as the knife was released from his throat. Marik eyes were narrowed as he looked to where Ryou was running. He shoved Malik away instantly and took after him, much faster.

Ryou yelped as Marik grabbed him, tackling him against the floor. Ryou tried to get up and force him off, but he couldn't… He was too strong…

Marik forced him onto his back, and Ryou's eyes were wide. He hadn't noticed that Marik had snatched up the bottle of pills… "I couldn't make a mess… I couldn't leave traces of a murder…" Marik's voice was flat and cold…

"No!" Ryou squirmed, but he couldn't move…

Marik growled deep within his throat. Ryou's eyes widened as the lights instantly died, and he was positive he heard every bulb pop within the apartment.

Malik started towards them both, but Marik growled deeper, louder, and Malik's eyes widened as he was thrown back, against the wall.

Ryou stared up into his eyes, feeling his body going numb with terror. "No…"

Marik started trying to force the pills into his mouth, but Ryou refused to let him. After Marik finally made him open his mouth, and began to slip a few of the pills in, Ryou instantly bit down upon his fingertips, as hard as he possibly could.

He could taste a slight amount of blood…

He instantly ripped away as Marik gave out a cry. He kicked out, and scrambled to his feet. He ran blindly through the darkness towards the door, occasionally falling over the furniture.

He could hear Marik's footsteps right behind him.

He ripped open the door to the tiny apartment and ran out onto the deck leading to the stairs. Marik darted after him, quickly advancing on him. Malik followed them outside and stopped, eyes widening.

Ryou was headed for the stairs with Marik merely inches behind him. "Ryou, watch out!"

But it was already too late. Marik grabbed Ryou roughly and threw him forward, sending the two crashing down the wooden steps. Ryou struggled to protect his head with his arms, but Marik had them easily pinned to his sides. Ryou growled and kicked him, managing to push Marik in front of him.

Malik watched in fear as the two violently struggled down the two flights of steps. He slowly followed them, and finally, the pair crashed to the concrete at the base of the stairs. Malik hurried to the bottom.

Marik was lying on his back, half of his body sprawled on the sidewalk, his legs upon the stairs. Ryou was beside him, sitting up, but shaking. His arm was bleeding from the concrete, which had cut him a bit.

"Ryou, you okay?" Malik descended the rest of the steps to join Ryou.

"Just a few cuts… I'll be okay… But…" Ryou glanced at Marik. "I don't know if Marik is going to be okay or not… He hit his head on the sidewalk pretty hard… It knocked him right out…"

"Here, help me get him up."

The two hefted Marik off the sidewalk before setting him upright on the stairs. A slight amount of blood showed on the concrete. Malik, after looking, found a slight stain of blood upon Marik's hair.

Malik shook his head. "It doesn't look too bad… But if he hit his head just right he could be in some real trouble…" He stood up. "…We should call the police, though, right? I mean, they've been looking for them…"

"Yeah. But we'll have to clean up a little… We can't let them see the knife or anything or he might be charged with attempted murder or something… And there wouldn't be a way to get out of it, would there? I mean, then we'd have to explain that he's a clone and everything, but…"

Malik sighed. "Ryou… We don't have a choice anymore. We _have _to tell. It's the only way to save Marik and Bakura… I mean, if they don't get locked up or something, then they'll only keep coming back after them until it'll be too late to do anything… We're lucky we even got this far…"

"But… But telling that they're clones… It'll put us in danger too, Malik…"

"I know… But we can charge them, can't we? They did kidnap Bakura and Marik, after all, right? The cloning process can probably also be deemed as illegal, in a way… Now, come on. Help me get him upstairs."

They made their way back up the steps, taking Marik with them. After getting him back inside, Malik shut the door. They cleaned up the living room, making sure to get rid of the materials that were previously in Marik's possession. Malik went back outside and dumped water over the concrete to wash away the blood, and proceeded to water the grass and plants so it wouldn't be so suspicious. Then, Malik was the one to dial the number.

* * *

Ryou knew he was afraid. He was extremely nervous, especially with all the cops all over the place. Thankfully, Malik was the one doing the talking. They were all inside right now. Ryou was sitting in the armchair and Marik was sprawled on the couch, unconscious. He decided to listen to the conversation between Malik and the cop.

"…I think he had a panic attack. He ran from us and fell on the stairs. He got a bit of a cut and it knocked him out."

It sounded reasonable. Ryou knew he couldn't lie like Malik could…

"…If we get his scent, it's possible we could trace it back to where Bakura is. It wouldn't be helpful to get Bakura's scent; it's probably pretty faded upon the streets and such. We can get one of the dogs to get Marik's scent and see where it takes us."

"All right. I guess it's worth a try… Come on, Ryou."

Ryou got up slowly as one of the other cops brought a dog into the tiny apartment. Ryou wasn't really found of dogs… He watched it sniff Marik a few times as the policeman talked to it, and it wasn't long before the animal was leading them outside.

* * *

Ryou and Malik stopped as the dog did. The cop car behind them stopped as well, which had a few officers and Marik inside. "His scent stops here."

The others glanced up at the building. It seemed like a warehouse, and there were tons of them around. But the dog was scratching at the door, trying to get inside.

They tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside.

Ryou couldn't focus. His heart was pounding in his chest… He felt like he was so close… _Bakura… Please be here…_

He was so lost in thought he didn't realize what was happening until Malik seized his arm. "Ryou, come on! They managed to break the door down!"

He hadn't noticed until now.

Malik pulled him inside. The two teenagers were right behind the cop with the dog, who was sniffing around a bit. It led them to a flight of stairs, which flowed down. But then it stopped and sat down.

"His scent is on the stairs, but that's it. The rest of his scent must has been covered up…"

Malik spoke up. "The only way to go is down the stairs. Just because there's no scent doesn't mean he's not down there…"

"You're right, kid. Whoever abducted them in the first place may have purposely erased the scent for safety measures. They may have actually worked ahead…"

They started down the stairs.

* * *

"I wonder what's taking him so long."

"You know, it's possible that he got lost. We erased his memories, after all…"

There was a moment of strange silence before a crash was heard, followed by a thunder of footsteps. The two scientists looked at each other.

"Where's Bakura?"

"In the container. It's impossible to get him out in time-"

There was a sound of a dog barking. The footsteps became out of rhythm then, apparently from everyone splitting up.

"…We have to get out before they find this room…"

"There's no time. Get Bakura. I have a plan."

-

Ryou stopped. He let go of Malik's arm, which he had been grasping to avoid becoming lost. A weird pulse started inside of his chest, and it wasn't his heart…

He ran, following the sense. He recognized it… When the snowstorm started and Bakura was missing, that pulse came and lead him to Bakura…

"Ryou! Ryou, wait!" Malik ran after him.

Ryou didn't stop nor wait. He just kept running.

The pulse inside of his body was so rapid; it was even making his heartbeat faster. He stopped as he reached a door, and the pulse seemed to be screaming inside of him…

He pushed the door open as hard as he could, but stopped in his tracks.

He was looking up at the barrel of a gun, being gripped by Bakura.

* * *

Chapter 21: End.


	22. Chapter 22

Ryou's blood ran cold as he stared up into Bakura's soulless eyes. Bakura seemed at least a few inches taller and more built than he remembered… Ryou gulped a little as Bakura placed the gun in the middle of his collarbone. Ryou felt beads of cold sweat forming on his face in pure terror. "Bakura…"

He felt the gun tighten against his neck. Ryou gulped hard, and suddenly Bakura had an arm about his shoulders, pulling him even closer. The gun dug deep into his collarbone and Ryou whimpered as he saw Bakura's fingers tightening slightly. _Please don't… Bakura, please…_

"Ryou!" Malik was screaming then, trying to pull away from the two officers that were holding him back, each grasping an arm. Ryou couldn't turn to see him, but he could hear the tremble in his voice, as if he was trying to press back foreign tears…

"If he comes quietly, there will be no one harmed…" Bakura's voice projected through the basement of the warehouse, silencing everyone, including Malik. Ryou swallowed again in nervousness. His duplicate's voice was deeper and colder than ever before, and Ryou was positive this wasn't even the same man that came along in the first place…

Bakura guided him inside the room, and left the door open. Ryou blinked in surprise. Why would the door be left open in the first place?

Bakura forced him across the dark, cold room, before leading him up to a platform. With the gun still in Ryou's collarbone, he helped Ryou lay flat upon the platform, which Ryou soon realized was nothing more than a metal table. Suddenly Bakura set the gun down in the chair beside the table, and grabbed Ryou's wrists. The boy gasped out in shock and in pain from Bakura's crushing hold.

The next thing he knew he was handcuffed to the metal platform.

Ryou was straining to bite back tears. He struggled violently inside the handcuffs, trying his hardest to worm out of them somehow. But it was useless. The next thing happened before he knew it. Bakura had grabbed his legs and handcuffed his ankles, so it was impossible to move.

He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He started to cry then, quietly, the crystal droplets falling down his face. "B-Bakura… W-What are you going to do with me? What has happened to you?"

Bakura didn't answer, merely leaving Ryou there as he walked across the room. Ryou could hear the sound of boots thudding against the floor. He tried to wipe his face free of tears, but the handcuffs held him back.

Bakura came back then, grasping a small cup and a needle. Ryou gasped as he realized it. _He's… He's going to poison me…_

Bakura stood beside the teenager, and Ryou watched with wide eyes as the man worked, before filling the device completely with the liquid. Then he grabbed Ryou by the arm.

Ryou screamed, fighting the best he could. "Malik! Malik, _help! Help me!"_

His cries became muffled as Bakura cupped one hand around his mouth, before roughly jerking up Ryou's arm. _No…_

Ryou jerked violently, trying to fight somehow, but he failed. He clamped his eyes shut, before they snapped open again at the sound of a gunshot. He saw Bakura glare in the direction of the door, and Ryou could see a bullet wound upon his left arm. But it didn't seem to be hurting him that much, despite the blood…

Bakura stormed towards the direction of the door then.

Ryou gasped as three or so cops ran inside the room, trying to overtake Bakura, who snarled and easily fought them off. Malik was suddenly inside too, ignoring the cops, who were now forgetting about him due to Bakura.

"Hold on, Ryou." Malik seized up the keys and got them off of Ryou as fast as his hands allowed him. Soon Ryou was free, and he instantly leapt down from the table.

Bakura was snarling like an angry dog, and Ryou was positive he heard a few bones crack as he threw an officer against the wall. Suddenly he heard another shot and Bakura finally screamed as it hit him in the center of his back. He shoved the current target away, looking around for whoever just shot him. But by then it was too late. His knee was the target this time from the pistol. As the bullet pierced his knee, the bone nearly shattered, taking Bakura to the ground, cradling his broken knee. Blood seeped between his pale fingers. He glanced up to see Ryou running out of the room with Malik.

He growled, and grabbed the handgun that had been snug in his belt loops. Taking only seconds to aim, he fired.

A victorious grin danced across his lips as Ryou's agonized scream pierced the musty air.

-

Malik froze as he heard the gunshot, and his heart stopped beating when he heard Ryou scream. He felt the grip on his arm fade instantly, and he turned to see Ryou on the ground, blood seeping from his fingers, which were curled about his stomach. Tears of bitter pain fell down Ryou's face, and Malik quickly tried to scoop him up and help him make the rest of the way out.

"Oh, no, you don't."

He heard the gun reload, and he barely ducked in time, and the bullet pierced the wall behind him. He gulped when he turned, mouth falling open to find Bakura standing behind the pair. The cops were getting back up and running after him. But by then it was too late.

Malik tried to pull Ryou away, but he failed. Bakura crouched down next to the teenager, and Ryou could not lift his head, so his eyes only allowed the vision of Bakura's worn black boots. He jerked up Ryou's arm then and smiled crazily down at him, whispering coldly into his ear, "Good night Ryou."

Seconds later he stabbed the needle into Ryou's pale upper arm, injecting every last drop of the substance into the boy's blood.

Ryou trembled slightly before his body completely gave out and his head fell with a light _thump _against the floor.

Then, the world seemed to be moving too fast. Malik watched the struggle between the cops and Bakura again, and this time, as they tackled the man to the floor, they won. As the takedown occurred, Bakura's head collided with the floor.

His mind was send plummeting into darkness.

Only when they started shackling handcuffs on the man with his hands forced behind his back, Malik realized just what exactly happened.

He looked down to see Ryou's face growing pale. Ryou moaned in pain, before coughing hard, and wound up spitting up blood. Malik's heart plummeted to the very soles of his feet before screaming at the cops to call an ambulance.

* * *

Malik watched as the ambulance pulled up in silence. He watched them load Ryou onto a stretcher before getting him in the back of the vehicle. Apparently the tears that were falling from Malik's eyes was enough to convince the men to let Malik ride in the back, along with an officer.

The others had taken Bakura into custody.

Malik climbed into the seat, trying not to get in the way as the two medical workers were hooking up equipment to Ryou, who was coughing up large amounts of blood now. He looked so terribly pale… He opened his eyes and looked weakly in Malik's direction. "M… Ma…lik…?"

The phrase caused the boy to cough, hacking up more blood on his already red clothing.

"Ryou, shush. You're only hurting yourself more by talking…" Malik placed one tanned hand on the stretcher on Ryou's arm, surprised by how _cold _it was…

"B…Ba…ku…ra…?" Ryou coughed harder. Splashes of red tainted his clothes and dripped down his chin. He whimpered aloud.

"The police took him into custody, probably to the detention center…" Malik's hands gripped some of the folds from the sheet that Ryou was upon. "I… I just hope he doesn't hurt them when he wakes up, o-or Marik… Yeah, after he shot you and everything, they loaded you up and took Bakura and Marik away in the police car… Marik was still unconscious, so…" Malik shook his head, wiping his eyes.

"…You're…worried…" Ryou smiled, but Malik could see the pain twisted upon his face, which was paler than Malik had ever seen. "Don't…be…he…" Ryou coughed harder. "He'll…be…okay…"

Malik watched him as he fell unconscious, blood running down the boy's chin.

Minutes later they pulled up with a screech at the hospital. Malik climbed out of the ambulance, seeing everything moving far too fast. The medics already had Ryou halfway to the door. Malik ran to keep up with them.

He followed them silently. They were calling out all sorts of medical terms and Malik could see blood oozing out of Ryou's stomach due to his shirt being pulled off already. Apparently they didn't want to waste any time at all…

Malik was actually surprised they let him in the room, but he made sure not to get in the way. They were only in there for a few minutes and Malik noticed that Ryou was already on life support.

He listened silently. They were talking about the poison and the bullet wound. He didn't really know what was going on, but there were starting to be so many people crowded around the bed that Malik was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Needed a moment to himself, but he refused to leave the emergency room ward. Soon the vicious swarm of doctors went away, and relief flooded through his exhausted veins as he heard that the poison was out. But now they had to remove the bullet and make sure it didn't fatally puncture any organs…

Malik's entire body felt weary, at least until an ear-shattering scream came from Ryou. He felt slightly sick at the sight of them beginning to get the bullet out, and there was so much blood…

He didn't have a choice this time. He left the ER and went into the bathroom before he had a chance to throw up.

Malik groaned a little as he splashed some water on his face. Marik had always called him squeamish… He didn't like the sight of blood. Small amounts were okay, but the near river of Ryou's made him sick to his stomach.

A small smile tugged at his lips. He could remember not being able to watch those horror movies with Marik because he often got sick while watching them. _He would always mess with me and call me a wimp… But at least he was just joking around with me…_

Suddenly his phone vibrated in his pocket. He had managed to grab it from the table before they had set off to find Bakura. It was a good thing, too. They had wanted his number, and as he fished out his phone, it revealed to be from the same department. He picked up. "Hello? No, I'm okay…" Malik listened intently. "A what? A storage device with their names on it?" Malik's grip tightened. "So you guys are still looking for evidence… Any leads?" Malik's shoulders slumped. "Oh… Wait, what?" One golden eyebrow raised up. "You just got through questioning Marik? Wait. He had no idea what was going on? At all?" Malik bit his lip. "…I would come now, but I'm at the emergency room… Yeah… Yeah, okay. I'll come by as soon as I'm done here. Thanks." He hung up, before frowning and slipping the phone back into his pocket. It was so _strange._

_He tried to kill us, and after he hit his head it knocked him right out. And the same thing happened to Bakura… But now that Marik is awake he doesn't know what's going on? He doesn't remember trying to kill Ryou nor me… _Malik frowned deeper. _Yeah, and they said they found two little storage devices with their names on them. They're still testing them and all, but it's so weird…_

He remembered Ryou then, and hurried out of the bathroom, slipping back into the ER quietly.

Ryou wasn't in the same place as before. His stretcher was gone from its previous location.

Malik raised a slender eyebrow and looked around before locating a nurse. He talked to her for a few minutes before she pointed out what direction Ryou had been taken. After following the directions, Malik found himself in front of an operating room. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door quietly and snuck inside, soundlessly shutting the door behind him. He wasn't noticed, however.

Malik stood on tiptoe, trying to peer over the doctor's shoulders without getting too close. He swallowed hard. Ryou was awake now, paler than before, even without the poison still inside of him. He had beads of sweat on his pale face and a sheet covered his body. He screamed, and Malik visibly flinched.

Ryou noticed Malik then, his weak, brown eyes getting slightly softer. "Ma…lik… Where…did…" Ryou began coughing again. "D-Did…you…go?"

Malik shook his head, silently going to the head of the stretcher to be able to talk to Ryou without being in the way.

Ryou smiled weakly at him. "…B-Bakura… Is…he going…to be…okay?"

Malik nodded slowly. "Just be quiet, Ryou. We can talk later."

Ryou smiled a little wider, his white hair hiding most of the left side of his face, but he hadn't bothered to brush it out of the way. He looked just pure exhausted… He closed his eyes. "I…miss him…"

Malik ignored the doctors, who seemed to be stitching up Ryou's gunshot wound. He just watched Ryou as the teen cried silently, tears washing away a slight amount of the blood that had been on his face. _Even though Bakura just about killed him, he still thinks of him as the same person…_

He watched Ryou silently, and he noticed the little albino's chest rising and falling a little bit heavier. He knew then the teenager had fallen either into unconsciousness once more or an exhausted slumber.

Malik couldn't help but smile a little, despite the situation.

* * *

Chapter 22: End.


	23. Chapter 23

Malik pushed the boy to the front doors, and waited for the revolving door to allow enough space to get Ryou in. The boy was asleep in his wheelchair, and Malik sighed heavily. He wasn't permanently damaged and the doctors said he'd probably be okay with rest and a few pills, but if there was too much stress, things could rapidly go downhill and the results could become disastrous. They had said it was best for Ryou to be in the wheelchair for a week or two to reduce the possibility of stress upon his body and greater damage.

It was lightly raining. Malik pushed the wheelchair under the overhang of the building to avoid getting them both wet. As he reached the end of the overhang, he put the lock on Ryou's chair and pulled out his cell phone, dialing the number of the department. He talked to them for a few minutes, and they said they'd drive by to pick them up. Malik thanked them before hanging up.

Malik sighed a little and waited. Around twenty minutes later the car came up to the curb, and he recognized the cop that got out of the driver's seat. The two of them lifted up Ryou and set him in the back of the car, Ryou moaning quietly as he began to wake up. They had folded up his wheelchair and had deposited it into the trunk and were already driving out of the parking lot when Ryou opened his eyes.

Malik looked at him, seated next to him in the car. Ryou looked tired, confused; his eyes shimmered with dull pain. "Where… Where am I?"

"We're on the way to the department right now."

Ryou's eyes suddenly widened. "Will I be able to see Bakura?" He asked, sitting up straight suddenly, and winced aloud in pain.

"Maybe. Calm down, though. I know you're happy to see him again and all, but you're injured. We don't want to risk you getting hurt further."

Ryou smiled, despite the pain that was returning in his stomach from his previous wound. He didn't really know how much time passed before they pulled up at the center.

Malik helped Ryou out of the car and Ryou was put into his wheelchair once more. Malik was the one to push him inside.

Ryou was too busy looking around, hoping his destination was to see Bakura or maybe even Marik, but instead Malik pushed him into a room, where one of the cops was sitting at the desk.

Ryou barely listened, staring longingly at the door. He started to move his chair but then Malik locked it, so Ryou found himself immobile. He huffed to himself and decided he could nothing more but wait. He decided to listen to the conversation instead.

"Well, while you were at the emergency room, we kept going with our search. We found two sets of fingerprints that didn't belong to Bakura nor Marik, so they're apparently their captors. We're still working on figuring out the owner of those prints. But other than that, we found these." He set them down on the table. Malik stared. They seemed like those little sticks you plugged into your USB port on your computer to store your files… But one was white and one was lavender, one with 'Bakura' and one with 'Marik' written upon them. Malik said nothing.

"Also, after taking prints, we turned on their computer. But there was nothing inside the hard drive. We did find a few cords attached to the computer ports and we tested to find a small remain of Bakura's blood upon a cord, apparently from a struggle… And of course we have the gun, which bears Bakura's prints."

Ryou looked away from the two. His conscience was screaming for him to speak up, to tell the truth of the situation, but…

"Even if his captors are found and are found guilty of kidnapping, it's a high possibility that Bakura could go with them on attempted murder-"

Ryou couldn't hold back anymore. "He didn't do anything! You don't even know what happened to him while he was there! They could've been making him do all that, they could've-"

"That's enough, kid. Calm down."

"No! No, I'm sick of it! He's the only one I actually have as family and I won't let him be taken away! I won't be alone again!" Ryou leapt out of his chair, trembling in rage and hidden fear. "It's not like he would hurt me on purpose! It's their fault… They must have gotten rid of his memories and made him go after me… It's not his fault, he didn't do anything…"

The two watched Ryou violently tremble before sinking back into his chair before letting out a weak sound and started crying.

The man turned his attention back to Malik then. "Explain."

Malik swallowed and began to spill the story. He hid nothing, explaining every detail he could possibly think of from both his and Ryou's story, putting as much explanation as he could upon the fact that both Bakura and Marik were clones from the two boys. Finally, when he was finished with the story, he leaned uncomfortably back in his chair, feeling his throat tightening a little. He shook his head slightly, trying to suppress his tears.

The cop, however, didn't respond to his story.

Malik looked up, wringing his hands in his lap. "…You don't believe us, do you?" Malik's shoulders sagged. "…I knew it… I knew this would happen…" Malik buried his face in his hands and felt the tears coming back. This time he couldn't hold them back and he started sobbing into his hands.

Ryou spoke up, wiping his face with his sleeve. "…Please… Please, just hook one of them up to the computer… _Please…"_

Ryou's vision blurred again, and he strained to hold back his tears. Malik was breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably into his hands. He watched the cop rub his temples before sighing. "…Fine."

* * *

Ryou watched as they brought Marik into the room. The man's eyes were dark but yet void of emotion and thought. Ryou could tell by the look on his face that his mind was mere empty void. Malik watched with tears glistening in his eyes.

The computer was already set up by now, and the cords were still plugged in. Malik automatically got out of his chair and went over to the computer, the others merely watching. "Come here."

Ryou looked at Marik, who finally blinked. He watched as the man took automatic, robot-like steps towards Malik. As he reached the boy, Malik pointed to the chair. "Sit."

Marik did so near instantly.

Malik picked up one of the cords and slid it under Marik's shirt, attaching it, and added the other one. He took the last one and attached it to the back of the man's neck. "I told you. We worked in labs. I know how to work this thing." He grabbed the storage like device and plugged it into the USB port. "But when you called me I didn't have any idea of what you meant. But now… Now that I'm here…" Malik's hands shook. "I… I can remember having to do this once… I… I was always afraid…"

Marik stared up at him with unblinking, near black eyes. Malik swallowed hard, a single tear trailing down his cheek. "I don't want to hurt you, but…" He wiped his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry."

He hit a button on the keyboard.

Malik trembled slightly as Marik's eyes widened, and for a slight millisecond, he could see fear. Suddenly the man gasped, and bent back in the chair before beginning to go into a massive spasm. Malik watched quietly, unable to hold back his tears anymore. He watched without words as tears just trickled down his face.

Marik was gasping, his body violently convulsing. Finally, he stopped, and fell motionless in the chair, wide, dark eyes staring towards the ceiling.

Suddenly the computer spoke in a monotone voice, "Memories restored."

Ryou finally allowed himself to blink, staring with wide eyes as Marik suddenly blinked heavily, sitting up in the chair and looked around.

"…Where…am I?" He murmured, before he locked eyes with Malik. "Malik, what are you doing here?"

Marik blinked as Malik began to violently tremble, tears spilling down his face like rain. Suddenly Malik grabbed him in a hug, Marik gasping slightly in pain before looking down at him. "…Malik?"

"Y-You're back… You're _back…" _His fingers curled about the folds of his shirt as he desperately pulled Marik closer. "I missed you so _much… _I was scared I'd never get you back…"

Malik looked up into the man's dark violet eyes to see just how _exhausted _Marik looked… Malik's grip tightened further, but he couldn't say anything.

Ryou watched as Malik buried his face into the man's chest and sobbed. Ryou looked away. Sure, he was happy for them both, but he still didn't know anything of what had happened to Bakura… He glanced at the cop, who seemed to be in a state of complete confusion and disbelief.

Ryou decided to speak up. "After Bakura is done with his questioning… Please, let us try this again… I want him back to normal…"

"He's already been questioned. He didn't know the answer to anything. He blacked out when we asked him about you two, though… When he wakes up we'll bring him in here."

* * *

His mind felt fuzzy as he opened his eyes. He found himself staring up at a pale ceiling but the walls were dark. He didn't have a clue of his location…

He tried to sit up and a fire of pain erupted in his body, mainly in his back and arm, but a dull pain was in his head, as if he had hit it on something.

He sat up, using his arms to support his weight. For some reason, he could vaguely remember something… He was running, running… Before two guys grabbed him… He frowned. He could just barely remember being hooked up to some machine… And then nothing but darkness…

But then he could see the tiniest picture, filled with other people, but he couldn't remember their faces… There were two blonde boys and one albino, and himself…

He shook his head, clasping his hands over his ears, trying to shake away the thoughts. It was already driving him insane…

Suddenly he could hear a lock turning, and his gaze flew to the door to find it opening. However, he did not recognize the man that came into the room and nearly pulled him off the bed and to his feet. "Come on, kid. Some people need to see you."

-

Ryou tightly clasped his hands together, doing all that he could to refrain from leaping out of his wheelchair and hugging Bakura as he was brought into the room. However, he noticed that his eyes were pitch black and his movements were stiff. No expression was upon his face and his eyes were forward with a straight stare.

Ryou glanced at Malik, who wasn't making a movement to signal that he was going to hook Bakura up. He was pressed against Marik instead, tear tracks staining his tanned face. Instead he looked at Ryou and spoke up, "You can do it, Ryou. You just watched me do it, so I'm sure you can…" Malik pulled himself away from Marik and over to Ryou, unlocking the wheelchair and pushed Ryou over to the computer, where Bakura was standing, and blinked down at the pair. Malik smiled slightly at Ryou, and pointed to the button on the far left of the keyboard. "Just do what I did and press that button."

He left, going back across the room to where Marik was sitting, eyes closed in exhaustion.

Ryou looked up at Bakura and swallowed. Bakura's clothes had been changed into a sleeveless black shirt and he was still wearing his jeans from when he had been arrested. Ryou could see a bandage tied around the man's arm and he was positive there was another around his middle from being shot in the back. Ryou unconsciously touched his stitches, before straightening up and grabbing the cords.

He noticed that Bakura was still and let himself be in contact with human hands. Before he refused to let anyone touch him… Ryou slid the two cords up the duplicate's shirt and attached them. Ryou then brushed the man's snowy mane out of the way before attaching the final one to the back of his neck. He then plugged in the white device into the port.

Ryou's hands started shaking. His fingers lingered above the button upon the keyboard. He really wanted to press it, but he didn't want to hurt him…

Ryou jumped as something cold met his hands. He looked down to find Bakura's hand wrapped around his wrist. The man was staring at him with wide, black eyes, as if he wasn't sure of what was going on, but wanting Ryou to press that button… Ryou smiled sadly and did so.

Bakura instantly jerked away from him, gasping as a rush of _something _began flowing into his brain. He couldn't push it away either, it just kept coming…

Ryou watched sadly as Bakura's entire body began to go into a massive spasm, his eyes nearly rolling backwards. Suddenly he choked on near air, coughing and gasping for breath as his body kept convulsing.

Suddenly the pain in his wounds multiplied. He screamed in agony, his mind throbbing. Suddenly the memories came flooding back like a tsunami, and he felt his body growing weak.

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura's knees locked and he started tilting, looking close to falling. He leapt out of his wheelchair as the man started to crumple towards the floor, and grabbed him in his arms, the man limp in his grip. Bakura's head hung forward, his snowy mane falling over half of his face, his entire body limp. Ryou grimaced as pain started up around his stitches, but he ignored it, holding Bakura close before he collapsed back into his wheelchair, still holding the man in his arms.

His heart was pounding in his chest and he hurt all over. He slowly looked up, feeling a pair of warm arms around him. He gasped a little as he looked up completely, eyes meeting Ryou's. "R-Ryou…"

Tears swelled and spilled down Ryou's face instantly.

Bakura's hands shook, and slowly, he reached up, putting a hand on top of Ryou's head, as if he wasn't sure the boy was real. Ryou closed his eyes and more crystal tears cascaded down his face.

Bakura swallowed hard. He could remember everything now. Everything made perfect sense… Tears filled his eyes as he realized that Ryou was sitting in a wheelchair. He could remember; he tried to kill Ryou, he _hurt _him… He hurt him _badly… _He couldn't stop the tears as they fell down his face. He grabbed Ryou tightly in an embrace, tears cascading down his pale face. "I'm so sorry, Ryou…"

Ryou let out a small sound before burying his face into Bakura's shoulder and began sobbing.

* * *

Chapter 23: End.


	24. Chapter 24

"Ryou, I'm so sorry," Bakura whispered, slowly releasing Ryou from his hug, staring down into his big, chocolate-colored eyes. "I can't believe I let it go this far…"

"It's not your fault, Bakura," Ryou answered softly, tears shimmering in his eyes. "They took your memories… It wasn't like you knew what you were doing…"

"I could have fought harder, but I didn't even manage that…" Bakura wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffing. "I didn't… I didn't try hard enough…"

Bakura stared down at Ryou, his eyes trailing over the boy's appearance. The albino appeared to have grown an inch or two since he had been kidnapped, and his appearance otherwise seemed slightly messy. Bakura could tell he had been getting little sleep due to the dark circles beneath the boy's eyes, and he could also see the teenager hadn't been eating much. The man grimaced as he noticed the wheelchair again, and thought the whole shooting incident…

"Bakura? Are you all right?" Ryou asked softly, seeing how Bakura's eyes had suddenly gone blank with thought. "Bakura?" Ryou asked again, reaching up with a pale hand, and touched the man's shoulder.

Bakura jumped. "H-Huh? D-Did you say something?" he asked, completely serious. He hadn't heard a word the boy had said.

"I wanted to know if you were okay… You spaced out…" Ryou said, dropping his hand.

"I'm not okay." Bakura answered, looking away from the boy. "Ryou, I hurt you _badly. _I deserved to be shot like that. If I had tried harder in the first place, I never would have lost my memories. If I had just listened instead of fighting with you, I may have never gotten kidnapped in the first place. This whole ugly incident is all my fault…" Bakura's hands clenched. "And I'm going to be the one to change it, Ryou. I'm going to fix it."

"Bakura, you're still unstable… You just got your memories back, and you're wounded. You act as if you're perfectly fine and can just go running out and doing whatever you please…" Ryou swallowed at the crestfallen look upon Bakura's face. "Bakura, please, just listen. I just don't want you to get hurt more than you already are… I don't want to lose you again…" Tears pricked the boy's eyes but he pushed them away. Now wasn't the time for crying.

"Apparently you've forgotten he's still under arrest." The cop stood up then.

"But I was…" Bakura growled in aggravation. The cop was obviously too dense to realize what the true situation was. "But the whole point is getting hold of the kidnappers. The scientists."

"What?" Ryou paled. "They… They were the ones that took you? Then I was right all this time?"

"Your boss and Malik's. They grabbed me while we were heading back to the apartment. Marik came around the corner and got nabbed after I did." Bakura said, biting his lip, before turning to the cop. "I understand that Malik has explained it all already, but we both were in different labs. And I'm not exactly the one who has the normal part of the story… Is it okay if I tell you about it?"

"Go ahead, son."

Bakura sighed deeply, and swallowed. He then began to tell the story from the beginning, ever since Ryou worked in the lab.

* * *

There was complete silence in the small room as Bakura finished his story. Ryou was trying hard not to cry, and Bakura looked down. Marik was nearly asleep, exhausted, leaning against Malik, who also looked bothered by the story.

The cop rubbed his temples. "Then this whole story isn't a lie. At first I thought it was, but after we got back the results of the examination just a few minutes ago, it turns out that tests do show you and Ryou have the same DNA, despite your differences…" The cop shook his head. "But we can't release you."

"What? Why?" Bakura asked.

"We can't let you out until a trial. Once we find your kidnappers – which should be a bit easier since you have a full description of them – we can put this whole thing into court which will determine the outcome."

Bakura swallowed hard. Court? Ryou had never told him about that before… It must have been bad, if Ryou never taught him anything about it.

"Now, we have a sketch artist scheduled to be here in a few minutes. Then we'll from there, and see how it goes."

As if on cue, there was a knock upon the closed door. The cop stood up and opened it, revealing a slightly younger man, holding a sketchbook in one arm. "Hey, John. You called?"

"Yeah, I did, Jeff. We've got a pretty big issue going on here. You know that kidnapping? Well, these two guys were found, but not the actual kidnappers. They apparently got out of the building before we came."

"I see." Jeff sat down on the table, opening his sketchbook. "So, give me the description, kids."

"Well…" Bakura was surprised he was actually the first one to speak up. "Kai was Ryou's boss. He… He had black hair that ended about…here." Bakura put a hand near his ears, and the sketch artist just nodded before Bakura kept going. "Well, his eyes were this dark emerald color. But when he got mad…"

Ryou barely listened to the description Bakura was giving. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about all of this… He finally snapped back into focus when Bakura shook his arm. "Ryou. Ryou, look."

Jeff was holding up the picture. "Like this?" he asked, brushing a lock of his auburn hair from his eyes.

Ryou nodded slowly. The picture showed his ex-boss perfectly, and even the thought of it sent chills down his spine…

"Okay, so what's the next guy look like?" He flipped to a new page.

Bakura spoke up once more. "Karu, who was Malik's boss. He has blue eyes, and he's almost always scowling. He has brown hair that's sort of like Kai's…"

Ryou stopped listening again. He really didn't want to. It brought up some really unpleasant memories thinking about that laboratory…

"Close enough?" Jeff held up the second picture.

"It's better than close. It's, like, exact." Bakura couldn't help but stare. "How do you do that?"

"Practice makes perfect, I suppose." Jeff ripped both pictures out of his book and set them down on the tabletop. He stared at the two for a long while before he spoke again, this time to the cop, "You know, John, I think these two are related."

"What? How do you figure?"

"Just look. From what the kid told me…" The two talked quietly, apparently not wanting the four teenagers to hear too much. After a few minutes his voice became at a normal volume again. "I think they're cousins."

"Cousins?" Bakura asked, blinking. Ryou had told him about brothers, but not cousins. He decided to ask before he forgot about it. "Ryou, what's a-"

"Not now. I'll tell you about it later." Ryou said, and then sighed heavily. _This definitely isn't what I was expecting…_

* * *

"Ryou?" Bakura asked as they were leaving the room. All questioning was finally finished. The taller of the two albinos pushed Ryou's wheelchair down the hallway, but he soon stopped. "Are… Are you mad at me?"

Ryou blinked, and turned slightly, seeing a look of sadness upon Bakura's face. "But why would I-"

"I hurt you, Ryou. I really did. I shot you. I almost killed you. And if I hadn't run away from my problems in the first place none of this would have happened…"

"Bakura… It wasn't your fault. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. I promise you that." Ryou smiled up at him, but it faded as he noticed the bandage on the man's left arm again. "Are you okay, though? You were shot three times…"

"You know, that's kind of what's been bothering me. It hurt a little bit when I snapped back into reality, but not nearly as much as it should have. I mean, I was shot in the knee, Ryou. That should have shattered it at the very least, but for some weird reason, that didn't happen. I don't know why. The most pain I have is a slight stinging, but that's all, and a tiny bit of a limp."

Ryou blinked. He hadn't noticed a limp at all… Maybe it was so small he didn't notice it… Wordlessly he turned back around in his chair, and Bakura kept pushing it.

After a few minutes, Bakura stopped, and spoke in a soft voice, "I have to go now, Ryou." He put the lock on Ryou's chair and stepped to the side of the chair. "This door leads to the hallway which has my room."

Concern crossed Ryou's face, and Bakura chuckled softly, ruffling the shorter albino's hair. "I'll be fine. Quit worrying, okay?"

"…I know. But I can't help but worry now… I mean, you were kidnapped and I'm lucky to even have you back. You could've been killed or dying or-"

Bakura placed his hand over the boy's mouth. Bakura sighed softly as tears flooded Ryou's chocolate eyes, mostly due to fear. Bakura slowly removed his hand to find Ryou's chin trembling as he tried to contain tears. "Ryou, I'm okay. The worst is over now, right?" He bent down to meet the boy's gaze perfectly. "I promise I'll be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen again, I promise… You don't have to be afraid of anything anymore, okay?"

Ryou nodded slightly before tears began to spill down his pale face.

"Hey, don't cry… They're going to find those scientists and we're going to get them locked up forever, I promise. Then we won't have to live like failed experiments anymore…"

Ryou hiccupped, whimpering. He reached out, wrapping his arms about Bakura and cried into the man's chest.

"Hey… Why are you so upset? I'm okay now, aren't I? You're okay, and-"

"B-But I'm scared." Ryou slowly, reluctantly, let Bakura go, and stared up at him. "I-I'm scared of something else happening to you."

"What else _could _happen, Ryou?" Bakura smiled slightly, almost sadly. "I was made a clone, I got caught in a snowstorm, I got hit by a car, I got kidnapped, I got shot, and a lot of other crap I can't really remember right this moment, but I think you get the point." He smiled a little wider, ruffling Ryou's hair. "I'll be fine."

He straightened up and began to walk off with the cop, John, trailing him. Ryou watched from his wheelchair, and watched closely, and if he watched hard enough, he could indeed see the slight limp in Bakura's steps.

Bakura walked into the entrance of the hall, and waved to Ryou, grinning, before he vanished into the hall, and the cop shut the door after him.

Ryou sniffed, and felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He looked up to find Malik as the source. "M-Malik?"

"He's right, you know." Malik smiled a little, Marik sitting on one of the benches, dozing slightly. "Bakura and Marik have both gone through a lot, but yet they're still loyal and alive…"

"Yeah." Ryou smiled slightly in the direction of the now closed door. "I'm just kind of scared for him, you know? I mean, so much has happened…"

"I know. I went through that kind of phase after Marik and I got out of our lab. But he comforted me… And for a while, that fear came back. But now that he's returned, I just feel a lot better."

Ryou's smile suddenly dispersed. "Malik… What do you think is going to happen when the trial starts up?"

Malik's slight grin faded in seconds. "Well…" He took the lock off of Ryou's wheelchair and led him closer to the bench, and sat down beside his clone before returning the lock. "I don't know, honestly. I've never been to court before."

"You don't… You don't think they'll try to take Bakura and Marik away, do you?"

Malik bit his lip, hard, before sighing. "…I can't guarantee anything, Ryou. They'll probably try. But trust me, the truth _will _come out. I doubt that those scientists will get away with this. All of it's illegal. The cloning, the kidnapping, the testing…" Malik shook his head, and sighed. "I guess we'll just find out when it happens. But first they actually have to find the two of them."

"It shouldn't be that hard," Ryou whispered. "I mean, they have sketches and evidence… And they couldn't have gone _too _far…"

"Good point." Malik sighed again. "Just try not to worry about it, Ryou. Things will turn out okay in the end, I promise."

_I sure do hope so… _Ryou glanced at the door Bakura had gone through, and sighed silently, softly. For some reason, he couldn't shake away the bad feeling that he possessed, even with the words of reassurance.

* * *

Chapter 24: End.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: I'm pretty sure this story will end at thirty chapters... That means only five more to go. Please don't throw bricks at me. D': -takes shelter under desk-

* * *

Ryou sat quietly in the chair, hands clasped in his lap.

It had been about four days since that day. Ryou had no opportunity to speak to Bakura since then, mainly because Malik and Marik had gone back to work the day right after. Malik had talked with the boss - who had already known about the whole kidnapping situation from the news - and Ryou was allowed off.

But that morning, Malik had gotten a call from the department, and the two blondes had to come down to the station, making sure to call their work first.

Malik and Marik had been taken with the same cop as before and were pulled into that same room. Ryou, however, decided to stay behind. He didn't want to listen to whatever the man had to say… He just wanted to see if Bakura was all right.

He rubbed tiredly at one eye. He had been getting very little sleep, mainly because of worry and nightmares. He glanced through the window. The guard said he was going to fetch Bakura, but it was bothering him about the time it was taking…

Suddenly the two came back. Bakura smiled at him, and took his seat on the other side of the barrier. "Hey. Sorry it took so long. I was still asleep, actually." He leaned against the ledge slightly. "…Hey… Why the long face?"

Ryou sniffed as tears suddenly pushed their way into his eyes. "I… I just…" He shook his head, his breath shaky.

"Ryou, please, don't cry…"

Ryou sniffled, shaking his head again. "I just miss you so much, Bakura… I've barely been able to sleep since you disappeared. And now that you're back… I'm just so scared you're going to be taken away again…" Ryou's body trembled. "A-And I have this really bad feeling-"

"Ryou, stop. Please. You're making me feel bad." Bakura sighed. "Look… I'm really sorry. I hurt you, and I really didn't mean to. It's my fault this mess happened, and I promised you I would fix it somehow. But you just need to calm down and try to relax, okay? Worrying so much really isn't good for you. And I think that feeling is because of the trial. You're scared that we're only to get separated again… Am I right?" Bakura asked gently, eyes glimmering with concern.

Tears slowly escaped Ryou's chocolate eyes, and he nodded, crying quietly. "I-I don't want to lose you again, Bakura… I really don't… I don't know what I'd do if you got taken away for good…"

Bakura's eyes softened. He was straining to hold back, wanting nothing more than to comfort the boy… But there was only so much he could do…

Ryou wiped away his tears and nodded slightly, before looking up to meet Bakura's gaze. "…H…How are things going with you?"

Bakura could tell the boy wished to move on to a different topic, so he did so. "Well, it's okay. It's shelter, and they give me three meals a day, so it's not that bad. Sure, the rooms aren't that nice, but hey, it could be worse." He smiled. "But of course I'd rather be back at the apartment with you and the others." Bakura looked around. "Speaking of that, where exactly are they? I was going to say hi, but if they're not around…"

"They went with a few cops back down to that room, I guess for more questioning or something…"

"Maybe you should've gone with them. They may have had news about the scientists or some other possible leads-"

"I'd rather be talking to you than to them." Ryou gave a smile, but he still looked a bit sad. "I mean, I haven't seen you in about five days…"

"Mm." Bakura leaned forward on the ledge. "That's nice to hear. At least you still care about me, after all that I've done… You know, I was actually worried that it would finally be the time you wouldn't forgive me. You can only handle so much, anyway…"

"But it wasn't your fault, so of course I forgive you. It's not like you hurt me on purpose or anything…"

"I know, but… I just feel bad about it… I just can't stop telling myself that it's my fault…" Bakura sighed softly, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "I know it really isn't, but I just feel so _guilty_…"

"You have a pretty strong conscience, don't you?" Ryou asked, smiling a little bit. "It's okay. Guilt will go away with time. But if you lie to yourself and don't talk to others about it, it will eat away at you. But you're talking about it, so I guess there's no major worries."

"I guess so." Bakura smiled a tiny bit. "Thanks, Ryou."

"For what?" Ryou asked, blinking.

"For sticking by me all this time. You could've just thrown me out when I started to argue with you, and all this time, I've came crawling back, and you've forgiven me for all of my mistakes…"

"Of course. You're learning more and more about life, Bakura. You're going to _make_ mistakes, and sure, some are going to be pretty major. But I promise you now; I'll probably forgive all of your mistakes, so long as you're sorry…" Ryou smiled. "I can't stay mad at you. You're like my brother but yet you're my closest friend…"

Bakura was beaming, and he tilted his head to one side, snow-white hair falling into his dark eyes. "And I guess if you look at it in a way, we only have each other… I mean, sure, Malik and Marik are our friends, but eventually we'll have to move out of their apartment and get our own place and our own occupations for income. We can't mooch off of them forever. I already feel bad about it, because having two extra occupants in their house is really putting dents in their wallets…"

"I know. And I'll always be grateful for what they've done, Bakura. If they hadn't taken us in…" Ryou shook his head. "Honestly, I think we would've died during those cold months."

"Yeah." Bakura smiled, albeit sadly. "I guess you're right."

-

Malik blinked. "W-What? Seriously?"

"Yes. They couldn't have gone too far from that previous location." The cop pointed to the map, which was spread upon the tabletop. "As we found out, their first location was here, where they were holding those two boys hostage." His finger trailed across the map, before stopping. "And our dog led us here, where their scent stopped, so they must have gotten into a car. This was done a few hours ago, to be exact, so they couldn't have gotten far. The police are on full watch for them."

Marik's eyes narrowed.

Malik spoke up, "How long will it be before a trial?"

"Once their capture, probably just a few days. The trial will probably last three days, actually, knowing how the lawyers drag it out…" He began folding up the map. "And your case isn't going to be exactly easy. Tons of illegal stuff, an abnormal situation, and kidnapping…" The man shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what the world is coming to."

* * *

Ryou spent the next half an hour talking to Bakura, carrying a conversation about anything he could think of, mainly in fear that if Bakura was taken away from him after the trial, he may not ever see him again…

"So, you remember when I'd get angry, and all the lights would shut off?" Bakura asked, cocking his head to one side, a curtain of white hair falling into his face. "Why isn't that still happening? Do you even know _why _it happened?"

"Not exactly, no." Ryou sighed. "But I have a few theories. You remember that when they took you, they began to test on you, and you slowly became more powerful, right?" Bakura nodded slightly. "Perhaps that's sort of what happened… I mean, I've heard the rumors that the DNA was slightly altered, and perhaps during that period, your power came along." Ryou shook his head. "I'm pretty sure of that."

Ryou smiled. "You're pretty bright, too, Bakura. I mean, I can remember you sitting there on the couch doing puzzles all day… You seem pretty intelligent…"

"I guess. But I was too stupid to call for help when that guy snatched me up off the sidewalk…"

"You were probably just traumatized." Ryou pointed out, before smiling. "If he tried to approach you, you probably would've really hurt him… I mean, you're a pretty good fighter, too. Like when we were out on the streets… You protected me from those two guys, even when you were ill…"

"I actually have a scar above my hip from where that guy stabbed me." Bakura commented, and then smiled. "I'm pretty sure he was a permanent scar too from when I punched him in the face… I think I broke his nose…"

Ryou smiled.

"You know, now that I think about it… We are pretty different, in a way." Bakura looked the boy in the eyes. "I mean, yeah, we have the same DNA and looks and everything, but our personalities are quite different… Maybe they really _did _alter the DNA to create me… I mean, look at the differences. You're so quiet. You keep yourself – and me, I guess – in check. I guess you're more of a man, since you actually have a job…" Bakura rubbed at his arm after confessing it.

"But who says that makes me better than you?" Ryou asked, raising a snowy eyebrow, and leaning forward a little more. "Bakura. You're strong and you're highly intelligent… Sure, your emotions get the better of you sometimes, but everyone has their faults, especially me. But you're very trusting and kindhearted… Somewhere below the surface, you're a very caring guy, Bakura."

Heat rose into Bakura's pale face, and he looked away. Ryou just giggled.

"Hey, Ryou." Ryou turned, seeing Malik and Marik approaching him. As they got closer, Marik raised an eyebrow at the blush that was tainting Bakura's face. "What's up with Bakura? He's all red…"

Ryou giggled again at the sight of Bakura's blush deepening, turning from pink to crimson in seconds. "He's just embarrassed."

"What exactly did we _miss_?"

"Nothing much. We've just been talking about some things." Ryou smiled brightly. "I'm just glad I was able to talk to him after so long."

"Oh." Malik blinked as Marik nudged him in the side with his elbow. "Oh yeah. Ryou… The cops are telling us that they'll probably catch the scientists by the end of the day. They tracked down the town they went to, but apparently they got into a vehicle… But that was just a few hours ago, because the scent was still fresh. So it shouldn't be long now."

"…Then we'll have the trial…" Ryou said softly.

Bakura blinked as Ryou sadly lowered his gaze to his lap. He could sense how nervous and upset the boy was about having to go to court about all of this. He could tell Ryou was literally holding in terror. "Ryou…" Ryou glanced up. "I… I just wanted to tell you that I'm here for you, okay? I'm going to give those guys the fight of their life at court. I'm not going to let you down. I won't let them get free. I won't let them take me, and I'll make sure that we'll get out safe, okay? I promise you."

Ryou watched as such a strong determination flooded Bakura's eyes. The man was sitting straight up now, and Ryou could almost see a fire of willpower in the man's gaze. The boy couldn't help but smile. "Okay."

"Come on, Ryou. We have to go."

"Can't we stay a little longer? _Please_?" Ryou asked, looking up at the two blondes with large, chocolate eyes.

Bakura couldn't help but smile to himself.

"Sorry, Ryou, but no." Malik grabbed the handles of the boy's wheelchair.

Ryou's smile vanished. He glanced at Bakura then, who also stopped smiling. Ryou sighed, forcing himself to smile then. "Bye, Bakura. I'll come see you soon. And if I don't come before the trial, I'll see you then, okay?"

"It's a deal, then." Bakura said, standing up from his seat. His back hurt a bit from sitting for so long… "I'll see you guys soon, then."

Ryou waved, and then man just smiled at him before being escorted out.

Malik pushed Ryou down the hall, he and Marik talking, but Ryou was silent.

Neither of the two blondes noticed the single tear that trailed down Ryou's pale cheek before dripping off his jawbone and onto his hands, which were clasped together tightly in his lap.

* * *

Chapter 25: End.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: So my friend invited me to a ball game tomorrow. I hate watching sports. But when we get together nothing is normal. ...It's going to be a very interesting game. XD

* * *

"Ryou. Ryou, come on… Wake up…" Malik shook Ryou's shoulder, the boy fast asleep on the couch. "Come _on, _Ryou!"

Ryou moaned softly and opened his eyes, finding Malik's lavender ones staring down at him. "…Malik? What's going on? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Well, I _was_. But I got a call, so Marik and I had to come home."

"For what?" Ryou asked, sitting up and hugging the tattered blanket to his chest. Malik had given him to him, seeing as it was a spare.

"The trial."

Ryou's eyes widened, and his heart began sinking into the soles of his feet. All at once that rush of anxiety and that aching, bad feeling returned inside of his stomach. His fingers tightened about the gray blanket. "B-But I thought-"

"They called and told us they found the scientists about two miles into town." Malik forced Ryou to his feet. "Now go get changed and freshen up. We have to leave in twenty minutes! We can't be late for this. Remind me to tell you the rest of the story on the way. I don't have time right now."

Ryou made his way into the bathroom slowly, and stared into the mirror. He looked sick. His face was really pale and his eyes had dark circles under them. He felt nauseous, as if at any minute he was going to throw up…

_Calm down, Ryou… _He curled his hand about his shirt and started to pull it up and over his head to change. _It's like Bakura said, it's just your nerves…_

…_Wait. Bakura! _Ryou froze, shirt in hand. He swallowed thickly. Even more of a sick feeling washed over him. Ryou shook his head, stripping off his pants.

He probably had just enough time to hop in the shower for a second and wash off… He grabbed a towel, and grabbed a pair of boxers out of the closet.

Afterwards, he found himself rummaging through the pile of clothes in the closet, which consisted of clothes Malik and Marik had donated to the two boys, seeing that they were old or they didn't really fit that well anymore.

Ryou extracted a white shirt from the closet, and brushed it off before pulling it on. He found a pair of black jeans in there as well. _At least I'll match… _He pulled on the pants over his boxers, and stared into the mirror.

He looked a little better, and not as sickly, apparently the shower calming his nerves a little. He ran his fingers through his hair, even though it was already straight and even, he mainly just felt self-conscious of his appearance… He hurriedly buttoned up the white shirt before opening the bathroom door.

He found himself staring down the hallway, seeing Marik and Malik standing towards the end of it. He scampered out of the bathroom.

Malik was brushing Marik's wild hair, currently tugging at a knot. "When was the last time you actually bothered to brush your hair, Marik?"

"'Like I know." The man muttered, zipping up his black jacket, which halfway covered up a pale white shirt.

Malik sighed, and stopped pulling the brush through Marik's hair to look at Ryou. He smiled a little at his appearance. "At least you had some sense of what to wear. I made Marik change twice, actually."

Marik muttered something softly, but it was too quiet to be heard.

"Anyway, we need to go." Malik said, putting the brush down on the countertop. "The car will be here in about three minutes, actually."

Ryou followed the two blondes to the door, where the three took a few seconds to put on their shoes. After locking the door, they headed outside.

Ryou was silent as they headed down the apartment stairs, and he didn't say anything when they got into the car that pulled up. Marik sat in the passenger seat, with Malik and Ryou in the back. Ryou sat on the right, and he merely stared out of the window as they drove.

Malik was currently turning off his cell phone, and Marik's was missing, never found after the kidnapping. Malik slipped it back into the back pocket of his black pants, before asking, "So, is this your car?" The driver – the cop that had questioned them at the station – nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you taking us? I mean, why exactly are you going to be at the trial?"

"Because I was the one questioning you boys. The others specifically requested my presence at the trial." His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "And you know, I don't think I've ever seen a trial being held this fast. It usually takes at least a month before you can take your cases to court…"

Ryou swallowed. He found that he couldn't stop fidgeting, tracing his fingers over the top button on his shirt absentmindedly. Malik noticed this, but the boy said nothing about it.

* * *

Ryou climbed out of the car as it stopped at the curb. He didn't listen to what the others were talking about; he was just bent on looking for Bakura.

He spotted the man standing on the steps not too far away. He wasn't handcuffed, but there was a cop at his side.

Ryou bolted and ran towards the man, ignoring Malik's cries to come back.

"Bakura!" Ryou ran up the steps, beaming. "I missed you."

"Ryou?" He blinked. "Oh, well, hi. I missed you too…" Bakura said, and a smile lit up his face. He looked to the cop. "Is it okay if I talk to him?"

The cop shrugged. "I guess."

Ryou noticed Bakura was dressed like him and the others: black and white. The only difference was that he was wearing a red necktie with his white shirt and black pants.

"Where'd you get the clothes?" Ryou asked, blinking.

"Oh. The guys at the station said they didn't want me looking like a bum, so they washed them out and let me borrow them." Bakura laughed and looked down at himself. "I think the tie is cool though, even if it does choke me a little."

Ryou giggled and Bakura looked back up then. "I see you don't have your wheelchair anymore…"

Ryou smiled. "Yeah. They just wanted me to take it easy for a few days, so that's why they gave it to me in the first place. They thought that walking could've put too much stress on me and could've broken the line of stitches or something."

Bakura smiled a little. "I bet you're glad to be walking again."

Ryou smiled and was about to ask a few more questions, but suddenly they were all being ushered inside, including Malik and Marik, by the two cops.

Bakura stole a glance at Ryou as they were entering the building. The albino teenager looked terrified, his eyes wide and he looked pretty pale. Bakura smiled, and whispered, "It'll be okay. Just tell the truth."

Ryou blinked as he watched Bakura get pulled away, and the man waved to him as the cop dragged him down the hall. Ryou and the others followed in their path with the remaining cop, but were much slower.

Ryou gulped as they went inside the room. He felt beads of cold sweat forming on his neck, and felt the fear inside of him growing rapidly. He noticed Bakura sitting on a bench, and the other teenagers were led to the same one, but Ryou's distance away from Bakura was large. They were sitting on the opposite ends of the bench.

But their gazes locked again, and Bakura just smiled at him, and mouthed, _'Just tell the truth.'_

Ryou just swallowed and nodded. He then looked about the room. He could see Kai and Karu sitting across the courtroom, almost all the way on the other side. They were staring in his direction, glowering at him. Ryou looked away quickly. He noticed Marik and Malik were sitting close together, leaning against each other. Ryou could see Malik trembling slightly, but he knew that since Marik was beside him, he wasn't nearly as nervous. Ryou felt envy form inside of him. _He isn't at risk… Marik isn't at risk of being sent to prison… I might lose Bakura forever on attempted murder charges… _Ryou's breath shook as he struggled to calm down.

He jumped as a hand touched his arm. His gaze snapped up, and he realized it was only Malik, who was sitting in the middle. "You okay, Ryou?"

"J-Just nervous." Ryou answered, and looked away.

Soon things became silent, and Ryou could hear his heart pounding in the stillness. The silence was near deafening, and he felt like at any minute he would be sick… He pressed his back harder against the bench, closing his eyes tight, but he listened to the voices of the lawyers.

He slowly let his eyes ease open, and he stole a glance at Bakura. The man's arms were lying on his thighs, and he was staring at the lawyers with dark, focused eyes. Ryou could tell he was listening as hard as he could.

He knew he should be paying attention, but…

He was jolted out of his thoughts as Malik started to stand up. He glanced up, horrified, as Malik slowly made his way across the room and towards the stand. He looked at Marik to see him clutching at his arm tightly, obviously nervous as well.

Ryou tried to focus on Malik then.

"State your name and occupation." Malik stared down at the wood, his heart beating forcefully in his chest. His voice came out strong, but it trembled slightly with nervousness. "M-Malik Ishtar. I… I work in a restaurant as a bartender…"

"And how exactly do you know the defendant?"

Malik swallowed. "K… Karu was my boss when I…" The truth was coming out. His heart felt like it was stopping. "When I worked in a laboratory."

Malik gripped his arm tightly. The memories were coming back…

Ryou swallowed hard. He could see Malik trembling as he told the story of how Marik came along, and he even mentioned when he met the two albinos.

By the time Malik finished telling his story, he was crying.

Ryou bit his lip, hard. He listened as Malik answered a few more questions before he was allowed to leave. The boy retreated quickly and placed himself between Marik and Ryou again, sniffling, and leaned against Marik.

Marik had to go next. Ryou noticed the man stood tall, as if nothing could strike him down. The questioning started out the same, but the main topics were different. "Did you know the defendant in any way?"

Marik sighed. "Not exactly. Like Malik told you, I'm his clone. So we pretty much inhabited the same home. However, I never actually got to know the guy. It wasn't long after my body was complete that our lab began to malfunction, like Malik told you. He saved me… And I never saw that man again. I never actually understood him, for when I was made I had no real knowledge. But after Malik and I managed to scrape together enough money, we began renting the apartment we're living in. By then we were really close, and Malik began to tell me a little about him. But I never actually understood… The most I knew about him was a few stories. That was it."

Ryou could tell Marik was determined, both by the way he was staring at everyone, and the way he was standing. Ryou glanced at Bakura then, and he smiled in his direction. Ryou just nodded.

Ryou hated himself for it, but he found that he couldn't listen anymore. It hurt too much… It just _hurt._

It was only until Malik was nudging him in the ribs with his elbow that Ryou realized what was going on.

Bakura was traveling to the front of the room.

As he got there, he looked Ryou in the eyes, before staring out before him.

"Your name and occupation."

Bakura sighed. "Bakura Ryou. And to tell you the truth, guys, I'm jobless. But that's another story for another time."

"And how did you know the defendant?"

"…Kai was Ryou's boss. But that's it. I didn't know him that well at all. The most I did conversation-wise when I awoke. He said I was nothing but a test subject and that nothing I did would matter…" Bakura's teeth gritted together. "And when he kidnapped me, we spoke again. He held me hostage. He tied me down and tested on me like a guinea pig. And then he erased my memories and brainwashed me into trying to hurt the people I care about!" Bakura was nearly screaming, anger swallowing up his eyes as he glared in Kai's direction. The man merely smirked back.

Bakura shook with suppressed rage. "…Marik and I hold similar stories of our creation. However, what became of us after the labs were destroyed is a different story…

"Ryou and I found ourselves on the streets in the cold months. If I remember correctly, it was almost the middle of February…or some day close to that. It was… It was so cold…" Bakura lowered his gaze. "I got sick. I gave all the money I found lying on the ground to Ryou so he could keep eating. I didn't want for him to die or get sick like me. It even snowed, and yet, I found myself without a coat. We huddled against each other for warmth and we slept on benches. It wasn't like two homeless boys could get a job so easily.

"…We were attacked by two guys from a gang. I was ill, but… But I tried to protect Ryou. I can remember just standing there and getting beat up for Ryou, because I didn't want for him to get hurt…

"…The man…pulled out a knife… And I was stabbed in the side. Everything started to get blurry and fuzzy around the edges… And I started to fall… Ryou held me close as the two thugs fled from being caught.

"It turns out it was Marik and Malik who scared them off. Marik helped me with my wound, and Ryou begged the two not to leave. For a moment, they were about to… But Malik's heart was so open… He managed to convince Marik to let us live with them…"

Bakura shook his head as memories clouded his brain. Now wasn't nearly the time for remembering things…

The albino looked through the little crowd of people to Ryou, who sat in the front row. Bakura started to smile at him for reassurance, but his grin faded instantly into nothingness as Ryou began shaking. He could see tears filling the boy's large, chocolate eyes, and he watched, helpless, as they began to fall.

* * *

Chapter 26: End.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Well, this chapter would've been up sooner, but I went to the hospital and had to get three shots so my arms hurt so bad I couldn't type and I felt like crap and I had an attention span of around five minutes, so yeah. And I don't feel good today either, so bleh. So sorry if this chappie isn't the best, but hey, I tried!

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Bakura was silent as he headed back to his seat. His questioning – for now – was finished. But he knew this was nowhere close to over.

Ryou blinked as he felt Malik nudge him in the ribs again. He looked up to meet the boy's gaze, and Malik nodded in the direction of the stand.

Ryou stood up slowly, making his way across the room. His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt sick, and his head was starting to throb uneasily.

Bakura watched silently, mentally urging Ryou to stay strong. He listened quietly as Ryou was asked the same question as the others, and Ryou responded in the near exact same way, only his voice shook terribly and he trembled, making Bakura fear that the boy would break down at any minute.

Bakura's heart began to fall. He watched, helpless, as Ryou struggled to keep telling the story of his life, tears starting to cascade down Ryou's porcelain cheeks.

Bakura couldn't be more relieved when Ryou finished, and the Judge declared a recess, even though it was short. Bakura leapt to his feet near instantly.

-

Ryou felt shame flood his entire body as he dragged himself out of the courtroom. He broke down crying in front of everyone… He was supposed to be strong, not breaking down every time someone asked him about his past life…

"Ryou! Ryou, wait up!"

Ryou's head snapped up, the albino turning on his heel to see Bakura sprinting down the hallway, the cop trailing him.

Bakura smiled as he finally caught up to the boy, "Hey."

Ryou looked away. "…I'm sorry. I… I wasn't strong enough…"

Bakura blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about? Malik cried too, and you act as if it's a horrible act. Ryou, you went through a lot at that place. It probably kills you inside to remember… Crying is nothing to be ashamed of."

Ryou swallowed, noticing Malik and Marik talking not too far away. He looked back up at Bakura then, shaking his head. "B-Bakura, I-I'm not strong enough."

Bakura sighed softly as tears slowly fell down Ryou's face. "Hey… Ryou, it's going to be okay…" He bent down slightly so that his eyes locked with Ryou's. "Everything is going to be just fine…"

Ryou sniffed. "I… I just…" he shook his head again, more crystal droplets trickling down his pale face. "B-Bakura, I-I just want to be strong. L-Like you… You're so much stronger than me… A-And I don't want to lose you…"

Bakura sighed gently as Ryou bowed his head, crying harder. The man put one hand on top of Ryou's head, ruffling the boy's hair. "Ryou… It's going to be okay… I promise I won't leave you alone…" He dropped his hand and put both of them on Ryou's shoulders. "Okay?"

Ryou sniffed, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. He nodded, just slightly. He felt Bakura's hands tighten upon his shoulders.

"Ryou, you just have to promise me one thing." Bakura said, and Ryou glanced up slowly. "You have to promise me you won't give up."

"…Okay." Bakura's heart rose a little as Ryou smiled at him, even though it was only slight.

Bakura couldn't help but smile back.

They only received a few more minutes to talk before they were all ushered back into the courtroom. Bakura smiled at Ryou, reassuring him.

Soon all was silent again.

Ryou found his heart picking up speed again. He swallowed, feeling his hands clench up into fists. _I have to stay strong… I have to._

"Now you have a small chunk taken out of this. You now see _what _these boys went through; or at least what it started as…"

"But that has nothing to do with-"

"It shows us the _base_ of this crime. _Why _these two boys were the targets, _why _they received the actions from their captors… But now we have to get a base from them too. Shall we?"

Fear gripped at Ryou's heart in seconds. _This _is what he had feared all along… He looked desperately in Bakura's direction, but the man did not return the gaze. He was instead staring forward with narrowed eyes, as if every little piece of concentration he had was focused upon the conversation.

Suddenly Malik was nudging him in the ribs again. Ryou looked up, feeling the fear attack his heart again as he watched Kai cross the room.

"Now why exactly were the plans created? What did you intend on getting out of this project?"

He seemed thoughtful for a minute, before brushing a stray strand of black hair from his green eyes. "They were intended on being perfection."

"What exactly do you mean by 'perfection'?"

"Well, what we intended on… They were not supposed to have heartbeats. Nor were they supposed to have their own feelings or own free will. They were only meant to obey. Nothing more."

There were some murmurs.

"Now, we've heard that your subjects haven't seen you since the day they made it out of the lab."

"That is correct. But just because they haven't seen me doesn't mean I haven't seen them. Getting them back was all part of the plan."

"So you had planned all of this. The kidnapping, the 'testing' the two boys have told us about-"

"Testing? Humph. Examination is more like it: an analysis. After all, they were our little clones to begin with. We couldn't just let some creature like that worm its way into society forever. We had to get them back. Sure, it took time to track them, but we found them after a while. And once we got them back, it was only correct to fix the mistakes. And the hosts were unneeded. We had no use for them anymore. So what would be the point of consulting them?"

"Because otherwise that is kidnapping. You _snatched _those boys. Do you have any _idea_ how afraid they were? To be back in a laboratory, with no connection to the outside world, to be a test subject again, without their only friends in the world?"

"Fear is a mere obstacle. What those little lab rats feel is none of our concerns." His eyes narrowed as he glared in Bakura's direction. "They caused plenty of trouble to start with. They _should _have been afraid."

"Trouble?"

"Oh? Bakura hasn't told you? Or little Ryou?" A smirk traveled over his face in seconds. "Other than the only reason they got out my laboratory is because Bakura couldn't control his rage and began to go chaotic, destroying everything within his sights, which eventually led to the entire place catching on fire. He's a dangerous little lab rat."

Bakura's eyes narrowed as he heard people murmuring again.

"And that he nearly killed little Ryou? I've heard you still have the gun and it does bear his fingerprints… Little Ryou even had to get the bullet removed at the hospital…"

"We've heard that the reason Bakura tried to kill Ryou was because his memories were erased on the computer you and Karu possessed. We even used your computer at the station, and found that's exactly what happened. We also have tape of it from the cameras that were set up. You erased their memories at the scene and filled their minds with commands to try to kill those boys!"

There were even more murmurs.

"You act as if I'm the only one that committed a crime. Not only was the cloning process illegal, but-"

"But yet the boys did not know it was an illegal act until it was too late. Those two boys were and still _are _minors. You act as if they were old enough to know better. They probably just thought it was another act of business." The man sighed, rubbing one hand across his forehead. "Look, just give it up. Your buddy over there already pleaded guilty during the recess, and it's obvious you two worked together-"

"Now I _know _you guys are idiots. Just because my workmate is so weak, so stupid as to plead guilty that you think I'll do the same? Humph, good luck with that."

_He's not going to quit. _Bakura's hands clenched up. _I've got to make him confess somehow before he tries to pin more acts on me. _He swallowed. _I know I shouldn't be doing this, but… _He shook his head. _Just wait, Bakura. Just wait for the right moment… _He stole a glance at Ryou. _Just wait, Ryou. I'm about to fix this big mess I created._

"Besides, they _did _know it was an illegal act: the cloning. Otherwise, wouldn't they have spilled the story to the police? But they didn't, did they? At least, not right away; they waited a little while, before desperation began to overtake them. It's pathetic. They became so _desperate _that they began to pin the entire act on me, as if I was the criminal…"

"That's because you _are!"_

All became silent. Ryou gasped as he realized that the owner of the voice was Bakura. Ryou's head snapped in the man's direction to see Bakura on his feet. Ryou was almost able to feel the angry aura emitting from the man…

"You _are _the criminal! You were just going to keep messing with my head and testing on me until you couldn't do anymore to me, and then you would kill me! I'm not stupid! Mistakes are supposed to be erased, and if I'm so much of a mistake, you'd probably erase me the second you received the chance!"

Ryou's chocolate eyes grew nearly twice their size in seconds, listening to Bakura scream. Strangely, no one was trying to drag him down. Everyone was just staring at him… Ryou's heartstrings began to tighten as he noticed tears forming in Bakura's dark eyes.

"Just admit it! You lied to Ryou and all the others! You just made me to try to take over! Why else was I intended to be what you define as 'perfection'? Why else would you be so worked up about having Marik and me in the society?!" Tears began to fall down Bakura's face as his entire body began shaking, but his voice remained strong. "You're the criminal and you _know _it! Just admit it!"

"…All right, little rat." Suddenly a bizarre smile appeared on his lips. "You win. I confess to it. All of it. I'm guilty."

Ryou's eyes widened, and Bakura froze. _What?_

"Then I suppose since I'm going to be locked up, I only have now to give you a farewell present…" Suddenly the smile turned into a sneer. "For old times sake, little rat…" But yet he didn't move from his spot as he spoke.

Ryou felt strange. He didn't think it would be over so fast… Gasps suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts, and his eyes widened.

Kai had slipped away from the bailiff in seconds, knocking him to the side, and was running towards Bakura.

Bakura's eyes widened as he tried to stay on his feet as the man rammed into him, but he was so much bigger and heavier than he was… Bakura let out a grunt as he was sent crashing to the floor with the man atop him.

Ryou started to run automatically towards the pair, but someone was holding him back. Ryou didn't even know who it was, but he didn't care. He had to get to Bakura.

Bakura gasped as Kai's hands wrapped about his throat suddenly, the albino struggling beneath him, but he was powerless against the fully-grown man. He choked, the man's grip tightening on his throat. He began clawing, trying to gasp for air, trying to push the man off of him, but he was powerless.

He could hear people around him trying to pry the man off, but they couldn't.

"Now that I'm going down, little rat, you're going down with me, and there's no way you'll ever be coming back up!"

_Ryou! _Bakura thrashed violently, managing to lift his head slightly, but then the hands tightened on his throat, and his head was slammed against the floor. _Ryou… I can't…breathe… I'm…going to…die…aren't I?_

Finally Kai was pulled away, and Ryou broke free of the grip holding him back, and raced to Bakura's side. "Bakura? Bakura, you okay?!" Ryou asked, his voice shaking with panic.

Fear suddenly seized his heart.

Bakura wasn't breathing.

* * *

Chapter 27: End.


	28. Chapter 28

"_Bakura, get up. Get up. Now."_

"I can't…"Bakura responded softly. He was lying on his stomach, the entire area spinning around.

"_Yes you can. Just think about it. Is this really what you want? You and the others worked so hard to even get this far… And now you're going to let that man just kill you? And what about Ryou?"_

Bakura's eyes widened. "Ryou…"

"_Apparently you don't realize how much damage that would cause him if you died… You're all he has, Bakura. Without you around he may not have anything else to look forward to… You would hurt him more than you ever have."_

Bakura swallowed. "B… But…"

"_It's not too late, Bakura. But you have to hurry. In a few more minutes your body will permanently shut down because you're not breathing. You just have to be strong, Bakura. Be strong like Ryou said…"_

Bakura's body tensed up, and with his shaking arms pressed against the cold, dark floor, he managed to rise onto his knees. Every muscle in his body was tense and his entire being was trembling with the effort…

"_Come on, Bakura. He's waiting for you."_

-

Malik was silent, unable to look away from the pair. Ryou was sobbing over Bakura's form, calling his name in a ghost-like whisper. The blonde glanced up at Marik and asked softly, "M-Marik… I-Is Bakura really…?"

"…I don't know. They said he's not breathing, but…" He shook his head. "I really don't know, Malik. But if he really is dead, then…"

_Bakura… Bakura, I'm sorry… _Ryou desperately wiped at the tears spilling down his face, but only more began to fall. He looked away, about to move, but stopped as he noticed something.

Bakura's head moved to the left just slightly.

Ryou's chocolate eyes grew twice their size as Bakura's body moved slightly, before he let out a small, barely audible moan.

There was dead silence then, and Bakura's dark eyes slowly fluttered open.

His head hurt, and his throat felt like it was on fire. The entire room was an enormous blur of colors… And slowly, it all came into focus, and he was left staring up into a set of teary chocolate eyes. "…R…Ry…ou…" he whispered, his throat aching with every syllable.

The tears once more spilled from Ryou's eyes as Bakura, shaking, slowly tried to sit up. Unable to hold back, Ryou wrapped his arms about the man in an instant, sobbing into his shirtfront.

Bakura blinked heavily, and the slightest smile appeared on his face. Ryou's form was helping his stay upright. Slowly, he reached out, and wrapped his arms around Ryou in return.

* * *

They hadn't been able to pry Ryou away from Bakura.

The albino was currently seated upon a small chair that sat next to the bed Bakura was lying on: a hospital bed.

Apparently when Bakura stopped breathing someone had called an ambulance. And even though Bakura began to breathe again, it had been insisted that Bakura go to the hospital, for it was a possibility something could have been damaged when Bakura was nearly strangled to death.

"Now tell me when you begin to feel some pain, all right?"

Bakura tried to lie still, but it felt weird having a stranger touch him, even if it was just his throat. He jumped slightly as he felt a jolt of pain in his neck, whimpering softly. "O-Ow…"

The doctor took note of the location of where Bakura could feel the pain and started the process over. "Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"…It… It kind of hurts all over, but… But it hurt the worst when you just touched it a second ago." Truth be told, it hurt to even _talk…_

"Well, we'll probably have to give an examination to make sure nothing is seriously damaged…" The doctor straightened up and Bakura watched him head for the door. "I'll be right back."

The two albinos watched him leave, before Bakura dared to turn his head to look at Ryou. The boy's eyes were reddened from all the crying before their arrival at the hospital. "R-Ryou?"

Ryou looked at him, staring down at the bigger of the two albinos. "What?" he asked softly.

"I… I'm s-sorry." He stammered, feeling his throat throbbing every time he dared to speak. "I… I d-didn't-"

"Don't apologize, Bakura." Ryou said softly, reaching out with a slender hand and brushed Bakura's bangs out of his eyes. "You did nothing wrong."

"B-But I…" Bakura found that he couldn't meet Ryou's gaze anymore. "I-I messed everything up…"

"No you didn't." Ryou answered quietly, grimacing slightly at the notable bruises starting to stand out on Bakura's pale throat. "It wasn't your fault… Staying quiet is something you shouldn't do during a trial. You have to tell everything." Ryou smiled down at the man. "And you made him plead guilty. I bet they're being arrested right now."

"Y-You really think so?"

"Well, since they both pleaded guilty it's not like there's any other reason to go on… the others will probably pry the rest of the information out later…" Ryou paused for a moment before speaking up. "Bakura, can I ask you something?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Well… When we managed to pry him off you so he couldn't choke you anymore… You weren't breathing, and… A-And I thought you were dead. But all of a sudden, a few minutes later, you just came back without any medical help…"

Bakura bit down softly on his bottom lip. "W-Well… It's kind of weird… B-But all of sudden it was really dark, and then this voice just started talking to me…" He managed to shake his head. "I-I don't know if was my conscience or what, but… But it kicked me back into gear…"

Ryou took this into thought for a moment before he spoke up again. "Bakura… Did that voice sound familiar to the one you used to hear? Like the one you heard in the hospital that one time calling itself a 'messenger'?"

"A-Actually…" Bakura thought about it for a second. "Yeah, it kind of did."

* * *

The two albinos were silent as they sat outside, waiting for Malik and Marik to show up. The sky signaled that it was going to rain; ominous gray clouds hung low in the distance.

Ryou was silent, sitting at Bakura's side on the bench. He felt strange. He didn't really know what the sensation was, but it almost felt as if a weight had somehow been lifted off of him…

Ryou lifted his head to glance at Bakura. The man's eyes were fixed on the sidewalk, as if deep in thought, and he was motionless, almost like a doll. "Bakura?" Ryou asked softly, gently touching Bakura's shoulder.

Bakura jumped at the touch. "H-Huh?"

"Are you okay? You were just spacing out…"

Bakura bit his lip, before nodding slightly. "I… I was just thinking…"

"…About what?" Ryou asked, blinking up at him. When Bakura looked away, Ryou swallowed hard. "I… I'm sorry. It's none of my business-"

"…I was thinking about our future." Bakura whispered. "I mean… We're finally free from those guys, so maybe we can live like normal people now. But I know you won't ever forget what happened… And I don't really know what we should do from here…"

"Well… Maybe we can convince the boss to let you work at the restaurant with me. I mean, Malik had told me a few guys quit, so the boss will probably like it if you came in." Ryou smiled a little. "And then not only would you have something to do that has pretty good income, but then I'd be able to watch you so you couldn't get into anymore trouble."

"…You make me sound like a criminal or something." Bakura muttered, pouting slightly. "That hurt, you know."

"You know I was just joking." Ryou said with a smile and smacked Bakura lightly on the arm. And for some reason, when a slight smile twitched onto Bakura's lips, his heart almost felt like it was soaring.

Ryou blinked as he noticed a black car coming about the corner of the hospital. He stood up. "Come on, Bakura. That's probably them right now."

The car came to a stop at the curb, and the door opened of the back, and Marik climbed out. His hair was nearly flattened down and wet and his clothes were dripping with water.

"I'm guessing it was already raining when you guys left?" Ryou commented.

Marik nodded, apparently in a not so great mood from getting rained on. He climbed back into the car, sliding over for the two albinos. Bakura decided to sit in the middle, and they noticed Malik was sitting up front this time. Ryou shut the door and they were off.

"So is Bakura okay?" Malik asked from his place up front.

"Well, it hurts him to talk and swallow and that kind of stuff because the choking apparently caused some serious bruising of his throat… Otherwise, he's okay. I'm just glad he's alive."

Malik turned slightly in his seat, just enough so that he could see the two boys. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. The two were sitting so close that their bodies leaned against each other's. Ryou's head was tilted back just slightly so that it rested against Bakura's shoulder. Both of them were staring out of the window of the car, the slightest smile upon their faces.

As if they were finally happy…

"So, where exactly are we going?"

"Out to celebrate, actually." Malik answered.

The two albinos blinked. "Y-You mean we won?" Ryou asked a bit breathlessly and his eyes widened a little more when Malik nodded.

"Actually, we should all be thanking Bakura. If he didn't butt in like that I doubt we would've won so easily. Bakura was the one who got him to plead guilty."

Bakura just blinked. "S-So now what?" he asked, completely serious. He hadn't been taught much about the legal system or anything else of the sort, so he was completely confused.

"Well… They'll probably be in prison at the very least." Malik paused. "I guess you're quite a lucky guy, Bakura. Most people get in trouble when they perform an outburst like that. Not only that, but you could've died when he was choking you, or you could've gone to jail with them for attempted murder. I guess it's a good thing things didn't get dragged out too much or things probably would've been worse…"

Bakura blinked again. Ryou smiled. "Don't worry about it, Bakura. You won't see them again, okay? They're gone."

"…Okay." Bakura answered softly.

* * *

Finally, Ryou felt like he didn't have a care in the world. He was able to laugh again and mean it…

Marik slammed his hip roughly against the door of their apartment, and the object finally snapped open. Feeling around the wall, he finally found the light switch. As he turned it on, it finally became brighter in the room. Bakura, being the last one to enter the building, shut the door behind himself.

Malik and Marik had vanished down the hall, their voices coming from the bedroom they shared. Ryou was gone as well.

Sighing and removing his now wet shoes, he made his way across the living room and stared out of the window, resting his forehead against the glass and watching the rain as it fell.

Ryou had seemed so happy at the restaurant… He was smiling and laughing again. And as much as that made Bakura happy, for some reason he was still possessed by a feeling of paranoia.

_What am I so scared of? _He wondered to himself. _They're gone. Ryou is actually free of them now, and he's cheerful now. And so am I, but… But why am I actually afraid? What do I have to fear?_

…_Everything. _He answered his own question slowly as he slowly discovered the answer. _I'm… I'm a coward. Why can't I be strong? Ryou always says I'm brave, but… But I'm really not… Am I? I'm a gutless coward. That's all I am. Because all this time I've just been hiding in the dark while Ryou has been the one to brave…_

With his back pressed against the wall, the albino slid to the floor, cradling his head in his hands. He just sat there for what seemed like hours, the only noise being the rain falling outside.

And then, something touched his shoulders. "Bakura? Bakura, what's wrong?"

He slowly lifted his head up, finding himself staring into Ryou's worried chocolate colored eyes. The teenager had changed out of his wet clothing and into his pajamas, but his hair remained flattened down and nearly dripping wet.

Ryou blinked as Bakura turned his head away. His features softened further, his hands tightening a little on Bakura's shoulders. "Bakura, please, tell me what's wrong… I hate seeing you this way…"

"…I…" Bakura bit his lip. "…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Ryou asked, mostly in surprise. But Bakura didn't answer. "B-Bakura, I… I don't understand…"

"…I'm sorry that I'm such a coward, Ryou." Bakura said softly, not meeting Ryou's gaze. "I… I'm too weak-"

"What are you talking about?" Ryou asked, frowning inwardly. "Bakura, you're brave. You're one of the strongest people I've met…"

"That's a lie." Bakura whispered. "I let you down so many times, Ryou-"

"That's not the point." Ryou interrupted. "Bakura, just listen to me. You were kidnapped. Not only that, but you were operated on as if you were a rodent. You were still unaware of most things about this world… And yet you survived it. You lived through every bit of it."

Bakura didn't say anything.

"Bakura…" Ryou said softly. "You're my best friend. Not only that, but you're like my brother. My twin. Why would I lie to you about something like this? I only want to see you get better. I don't want to see you down, and you know it… And this isn't like you at all. You're usually the confident one, so why are you so-"

"Because I'm scared." Bakura whispered, barely audible, "I… It's…because I'm scared, Ryou."

Ryou blinked. "But why? Why would you be afraid?" he asked softly, sitting down now in front of the man. "Bakura… There's no reason for you to be afraid-"

"I can't help it, Ryou." Bakura said softly. "…I… I mean… After all the crap that has happened and all…"

"You're paranoid, Bakura." Ryou gave a gentle smile. "There's nothing to feel bad about. Paranoia is just like a suspicion. You're just fearful that something else is going to happen to us… and I promise you right now, nothing bad is going to happen, all right?"

Bakura nodded slightly.

Ryou smiled before wrapping his arms about Bakura in a hug, feeling how tense the man was. "It's going to be okay…"

They sat like that for a moment, before Bakura's body finally loosened up and he let Ryou hug him tight, and slowly, he wrapped his arms about Ryou's back in return. "…I trust you."

Ryou smiled, and pulled away a moment later, staring up into Bakura's dark eyes. "And I'm glad."

Bakura blinked as Ryou suddenly stood, pulling him up with him, the smile still spread over his face. "Now go get ready for bed. You're going to have a long day tomorrow."

"Doing what?" Bakura asked, blinking in confusion as Ryou began to pull him in the direction of the bathroom.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out in the morning, okay?" Ryou smiled again when Bakura made a face that closely resembled a pout, before leaving Bakura alone in the bathroom.

Bakura couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

Chapter 28: End.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Yeah, I know, this update took a while. D': But honestly, this was a hard chapter for me to write, although I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's because the story is about to end... -sniff- Yeah, the next chapter is going to be the last. Anyway, I doubt you want to listen to me ramble, so just go on. XD Oh, and I know Seto is kind of out of character in this chapter, but hey. -inward shrug-

* * *

"Bakura." Ryou gently shook the man's shoulder. "Bakura, wake up."

Bakura moaned softly, trying to pull away from the touch, burying his face deeper into the cushion, curling up further underneath the old, worn blanket.

Ryou sighed, and took the blanket in one hand, before roughly pulling it off of Bakura's figure. Bakura grumbled at this, but did not get up. Ryou sighed. "Bakura, get up. We're going to be late if you don't hurry up!"

Bakura slowly lifted his head from the cushion, looking half-asleep. "Late for what?" he murmured, before rubbing at his eyes.

"I told you yesterday. Today is going to be a long day." Ryou gently took Bakura's arm and hauled him upright. "Now come on. You have to get ready."

"Ready for _what_, Ryou?" Bakura asked again, sitting upright and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Why won't you just tell me what we're going to be doing?"

"Not now. Come on, you need to take a shower."

Bakura yawned a little bit before dragging himself to his feet and sleepily stumbled in the direction of the bathroom. "Okay, okay… I will…"

He shut the door behind himself, yawning again. He hadn't been forced to get up early in quite a while, so his body was putting up quite a fight, wanting to get more sleep.

He started up the water and grabbed a towel before prying off his pajamas so that he was standing in his boxers. Rubbing sleepily at his eyes, he waited for the water to warm up a bit before getting in.

-

Ryou softly bit down on one knuckle. He was nervous, and his stomach was telling it to him straight, for it was knotting up.

He slipped the stack of papers into his bag, which was slung over the knob of the front door of the small apartment so he wouldn't forget it. He was already dressed, his sneakers on, his hair fixed… The only problem was trying to kick Bakura into gear.

"Ryou?" Bakura's voice trailed from the bathroom. Ryou could easily hear his words through the paper-thin walls. "Ryou, what do you want me to wear?"

Ryou made his way into the hall, before opening the bathroom door. Bakura's figure could be seen just slightly, most of him submerged into the dark depths of the closet, rummaging through the clothes.

At the sound of Ryou's footsteps, Bakura pulled himself out of the closet entirely, moving out of the way automatically. He stood to the side, wearing his boxers, but otherwise bare. His hair was still wet, despite his attempts to dry it.

"Brush your teeth or something." Ryou murmured from the inside of the closet, "We can't afford to waste any more time."

Bakura blinked. He merely obeyed without a response, knowing that Ryou was obviously nervous.

"Here." Ryou pulled out a button-down shirt and a pair of black jeans from the closet. Bakura turned slightly, toothbrush in one hand. "This should be good enough."

Bakura didn't answer, brushing his teeth silently. He watched Ryou out of the corner of his eye, however. The teen was jumpy, to say the least; motherly, even.

When he finished brushing his teeth, he pulled on the jeans Ryou had given him and shrugged into the shirt, buttoning it. "Um… Does it look okay?"

"You look fine… Except for your hair." Ryou frowned slightly, rummaging through the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a brush. "Here, hold still."

Bakura did so, letting the teen brush his hair. He flinched, however, as Ryou began tugging at a knot. "O-Ow! Ryou, stop it!"

"I can't help it that you never brush your hair, Bakura!" Ryou managed to eliminate the tangle. "It's going to get messy and knotted if you never brush it."

"I noticed." Bakura muttered, glaring into the mirror so that he could watch Ryou without moving. His features relaxed, noticing something. Ryou was standing on tiptoe.

"Hey… Did you get shorter or something?" Bakura blurted out, before quickly adding, "Not to be rude or anything…"

"…No, Bakura." Ryou tugged at another knot. "You got taller. A good few inches growth, actually."

"I did?" Bakura blinked as he glanced back into the mirror. Ryou's head barely reached his shoulders. "But…"

"I think it's because of what…" Ryou's hand tightened on the cheap brush in his pale hand. "What _they _did."

"What do you mean?" Bakura asked in confusion.

"Well, for some reason, when you vanish from me and get out of range, this weird pulse starts inside of me, and the past few times you went missing, it led me to you…" Ryou yanked again. "And then I managed to track you down in that building, and when I opened the door… You were so much bigger than me. You were taller and you were even more built than when you were taken away." Ryou's voice grew notably softer. "A-And having someone so much bigger and stronger than you shoving a gun into your face…" Ryou's fingers shook.

"H-Hey, Ryou, don't cry." Bakura said gently, turning so that he faced Ryou fully. "I-It's okay… It's over now…"

"I… I'm not crying." Ryou said weakly, rubbing at his eyes. "I-I won't cry."

Bakura's shoulders slumped a bit as Ryou looked up, his chocolate eyes filled with suppressed tears. "Ryou… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"You asked an innocent question." Ryou rubbed again at his eyes with the front of his wrist. "I'm just being too sensitive."

Bakura bit his lip. For a moment, the two just stood there, before Bakura finally sighed and turned away. "Come on. We should get going."

Ryou nodded weakly and the two headed to the front of the tiny apartment. Bakura tugged on his sneakers and Ryou slung the small bag over his shoulder, and taking a moment to lock the front door, they started outside.

The two didn't speak as they walked down the sidewalk. Bakura stole a glance at Ryou. He noticed the teen weakly clutching at the strap on the worn bag slung over his shoulder, and his gaze was downcast.

"…I'm sorry, Ryou, I shouldn't have blurted out like that." Bakura said the words quietly, not meeting Ryou's gaze. "I mean…"

"It wasn't your fault. I told you already. I just need to get over it. The past is over." Ryou's eyes were surprisingly empty, and his voice held onto no emotion.

"…You can't forget." Bakura said then, moving closer and wrapping a slender arm about Ryou's shoulders. "It still haunts you, Ryou. I know." Bakura gently pulled his fingers through his look-alike's hair. "I still have nightmares, dreaming of when they kidnapped me and just tested on me like I was just some worthless rodent…" He sighed softly. "I know what you're going through."

Ryou stopped dead in his tracks, and Bakura did as well, not taking his arm of Ryou's shoulders. The teenager's chin trembled, and he buried his face in his hands, sobbing, his bag slipping from the movements, now hanging on the crook of his arm.

Bakura said nothing, merely taking the teenager into his arms in a warm embrace. They stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, the taller of the two just standing there, letting the younger one cry himself out.

* * *

"We're almost there." Ryou said, wiping absentmindedly at his chocolate eyes. He had stopped crying long ago, but his eyes were now irritated from the session. His eyes were also reddened and swollen slightly, and it was obvious that he had been crying.

He had cried for nearly ten straight minutes, just clinging to Bakura, the two standing there, the teen just sobbing in the middle on the sidewalk. Bakura had comforted him, holding him close and gently, whispering soothing things to him and rubbing circles on his back, not daring to push the boy away or chide him for his tears in any way.

And Ryou knew it was because Bakura completely understood his pain.

"Okay. When we get there you can go wash up a little. I'm sure your eyes are really bugging you." Bakura's hand shifted on the strap of Ryou's bag. After the boy's period of crying, the clone had volunteered to carry the small sack the rest of the way. Ryou merely nodded.

Bakura blinked as he looked around himself. He recognized every bit of his surroundings. He wasn't quite sure when, but he knew he had passed by all the shops and buildings once before.

"Okay." Ryou suddenly pushed open a door to one building. "Come on, Bakura. This is it."

Bakura blinked again, and followed Ryou inside. He had been so busy looking around that he had never noticed. But the moment the taller of the two albinos made it inside, he froze, recognizing the location in an instant.

It was the same restaurant where he had met Yami and Yugi.

"No way." His muscles stopped working suddenly, and Bakura suddenly dropped Ryou's bag as his arm weakened. "You've got to be kidding me." He was straining not to yell. He figured it out now. He had pieced it all together, and now the puzzle was complete. "You expect me to _work_ here?"

Ryou noticed Bakura's eyes darkening, and his lips were curled in a snarl. Thankfully the two were in the main lobby, so no one really noticed their existence, and luckily Bakura was keeping his voice under control somehow.

"B-Bakura, please, just listen-"

"No!" Bakura was quivering with barely controlled rage. "You _know_ I don't like them. You _know _what happened last time I was around them."

"Yami works elsewhere, just like Marik," Ryou cut in. "Yugi is the only one you'll be seeing. And not only will I be here, but so will Malik." Ryou sighed deeply. "Bakura, please. Listen to me. We need the money. The boss needs some new employees, and you're jobless. Not only do you meet the qualifications, but Malik and I can help you through it. And maybe if we scrape together enough money, maybe we can get our own apartment or something and finally get out of Malik and Marik's lives. It's not fair to them that we mooch. Not only are we putting major dents in their finances, but we're getting in the way."

Bakura said nothing.

"_Please_, Bakura." Ryou found himself nearly begging.

Bakura exhaled deeply, and looked into Ryou's eyes. "Fine. But I'm warning you right now, if that shrimp gets in my way, bad things are going to happen."

"I'll make sure to warn him." Ryou gave a wary smile. "Now come on, your interview is in five minutes."

Bakura grabbed Ryou's bag off the floor, slinging it over his shoulder, and hurried after the boy, who was vanishing among the crowd of people.

For some reason, he felt scared. He wasn't quite sure why, but Ryou was wearing such a big smile he felt slightly reassured. And Malik waving to him from the bar gave him a little flutter of hope in his stomach.

Ryou suddenly stopped, and the two settled onto a small bench that had been propped outside the door. Ryou knew it was only there for people waiting for their turn to talk with the boss.

Bakura was fidgeting. Ryou noticed this instantly, for the bench creaked every time someone moved. "Bakura, what's wrong?"

"I…" Bakura squirmed a little more, one hand tightening on the strap of Ryou's worn, faded bag. "I'm scared."

"Why? There's nothing to be afraid of…"

Bakura shook his head. "Yes there is. What if he doesn't like me? What if he turns me down? What if-"

"Bakura, it's only your paranoia. Remember that little talk we had last night?" Ryou gave a slight smile. "It's all in your head. Just calm down and everything will be fine."

The door opened right then, and Bakura swallowed hard, knuckles white as he grasped the strap harder. Someone drifted out of the office, followed by a clean-cut man who looked only about two years older than Ryou.

"Well now." The man gave the slightest of smiles. "Ryou, who is your little friend?"

Bakura blinked, realizing then the man was speaking of his presence. "O-Oh… I… I'm Bakura." He could feel the fluttering in his stomach increasing.

"He's a little nervous." Ryou smiled a bit.

"I do believe you acted far worse than that when you came on your interview." The man led them both inside the office and closed the door. "You almost got sick, if I remember correctly."

Ryou laughed a little. "Yeah, I remember. I think Bakura gets the whole nerves thing from me, though, so it's partially my fault."

Bakura blinked as the man suddenly turned his attention on him, and Bakura felt the fluttering increase into flapping, like wings. He only then noticed how _tall _the man was, finding himself having to tilt his head up just slightly to stare perfectly into his slightly cold eyes.

"Um, Sir?" Bakura asked weakly, feeling a bit of nausea kick in from nervousness that was quickly eating away at him.

"Call me Seto." The man motioned to a chair placed before his desk, before going behind the mahogany structure and sat down.

Bakura was thankful to collapse into the cushioning, the dizziness making his stomach do near somersaults. "Um… I know this is probably going to sound kind of off, but… What exactly would I be doing? I mean, Ryou told me he does tables and our friend Malik does bartending, so…"

"Well, we have a few different positions open, actually." The brunette rubbed at his temples. "It's been quite stressful, actually, trying to get all the positions filled up. You're about the twelfth person I've interviewed so far." His gaze flicked up to meet Bakura's dark eyes. "But enough of me and my problems. Tell me a little about yourself. Have any skills?"

Bakura hesitated for a long moment, unsure of what to say. "I… I'm afraid I don't understand…" Seto blinked, and leaned back a bit. Panic seized Bakura's heart at the movement, "I-I'm sorry! I-I just… I don't…" The albino growled slightly, pressing a palm to his forehead. "I-I'm sorry, you probably think I'm a total idiot…"

"Not at all." The brunette smiled just a little. "Actually, Ryou told me that you're a highly intelligent young man, but I understand there's a little…_issue_?"

"Issue?" Bakura played back, blinking once. He turned to Ryou, blinking in confusion. "Ryou, I don't understand."

Ryou sighed slightly. "Bakura, he knows about you and me sharing our DNA. Like you, he's a really smart guy, so he figured it out. Other than that, he heard about the court incident from the news." He turned back to the brunette. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't apologize. From what I've heard, he's a fast learner with high intelligence. He just needs to expand his vocabulary a little more."

"Oh, if I had the chance to let him improve, I would take it. But the most he gets is to do puzzles in the newspaper and read the articles. We don't own any books or anything, so his learning space is sort of limited." Ryou sighed slightly, before smiling. "But he does those puzzles in amazing time. He scored pretty high on an IQ test as well… I think the only thing he's lagging in is his vocabulary, like you said."

"You told me you would demonstrate for me?" There was a slight smile in the man's voice, as if a bit amused. "I'm afraid I only believe it if I see it."

"I came prepared." Ryou reached over and grabbed the bag. He rummaged through it for a moment before extracting a newspaper clipping and a pencil, and handed them to Bakura.

A Sudoku puzzle.

Bakura stared down at the little puzzle, and then looked back up at Ryou, who was just smiling at him. "Come on, Bakura. He's doubting you. Show him what you're made of."

Bakura swallowed, and placed the puzzle on the desk, staring at it. His eyes took in the numbers in an instant, and for a moment, he was motionless. Due to the many empty squares, he knew Ryou had purposely hunted down one of the harder puzzles for him to do.

Ryou hid a smile as he watched Bakura work, his eyes narrowed a bit and focused as he took in the numbers in the boxes, obviously deeply concentrated on the work before him.

After a few minutes, Bakura leaned back, the boxes filled with small, neat numbers. He was still gripping the pencil in his hand loosely.

Seto settled back in his chair. "Well, I've seen, and I believe." He stared up at the ceiling. "Ryou, I'm sure his training will last less than normal span. You can try to start teaching him tonight, because you're going to be getting a call from me."

A big smile appeared on Ryou's face, "Really?"

"It would be a mistake not to, especially since he takes after you. I can tell he's molded like you. He obviously works hard and he pushes himself to the best he can do. I saw it in his eyes." Seto got up and walked around the desk to where Bakura was sitting. The albino looked up at him with confused eyes, and the look grew when Seto suddenly extended a pale hand. "Welcome to the crew, kid."

* * *

Chapter 29: End.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: This is it, guys. The final chapter. D': Honestly, a bit of me is crying inside, but all good things must come to an end, right? Well, I hope you guys enjoy the last chapter! Oh, and this is an epilogue, just to let you know. ;)

* * *

Ryou awoke to the sound of screaming. Sleepily, he lifted his head up, and glanced about the tiny room. He could see Bakura thrashing, screaming as loud as he could in his sleep.

Ryou got up, and padded over to the man, sitting down next to him upon his knees, before wrapping his pale, slender hands about Bakura's wrists, and pinned his arms to his sides.

He already knew what would happen if he didn't.

Bakura thrashed violently, squirming beneath Ryou's grip, screaming. He was kicking now, his arms trembling as he tried to break out of Ryou's hold.

Ryou sighed soundlessly, and shifted, sitting on Bakura's knees to prevent him from moving. He kept the man's arms pinned down. Bakura continued his actions, heart-wrenching screams sending shivers down Ryou's spine.

Ryou desperately tried to hold the man still. "Bakura, it's okay! You're going to be okay!" Ryou dared to release Bakura's left wrist, and started to reach out.

"_No_!" Bakura screamed the word harshly in his sleep, his voice lined with agony and fear. In a flash his left hand flew off the floor and he began clawing at Ryou in an instant. "_Stop_!"

"Bakura!" Ryou winced slightly as the man's fingernails cut at his arm. "Bakura, it's only a dream! I'm here! It's going to be okay!" Ryou quickly reached out, using his free hand, and gently pulled his fingers through Bakura's snowy hair.

Bakura slowly fell still, and his eyes fluttered open, finding himself staring up at Ryou. His eyes locked with Ryou's chocolate ones, and his chin trembled.

Ryou sighed as Bakura burst into tears.

Ryou got off of Bakura, sitting beside the man, and gently pulled him into an upright position. Bakura was sobbing uncontrollably, incoherent phrases and words spilling from his lips. "Bakura, it's okay…" Ryou reached out, and took the shaking man into his arms, hugging him warmly in an attempt to comfort him.

Bakura merely bawled into Ryou's shirt, unable to stem the flow of tears.

Ryou rubbed a few circles on the man's back, rocking him gently. He just let Bakura cry, knowing what had happened.

It took nearly fifteen minutes for the man to stop crying. By then Ryou's sleeveless shirt was wet with the man's tears, but Ryou didn't really care. Even when Bakura stopped crying, Ryou did not release him. "…Do you want some hot chocolate?" he asked softly, Bakura's face still buried into his shirt.

Bakura nodded, just slightly.

Ryou sighed soundlessly, and started to stand up, helping Bakura to his feet as well. Bakura's legs trembled slightly, and he clung to Ryou for a moment, before he released his grip. The two then started towards the kitchen.

After Ryou made the hot drink, they sat down at the rickety table that was set up in the kitchen. Bakura sipped at his drink a little, his pale hands still shaking slightly. His eyes were red and slightly swollen, and his face was wet with tears.

"Feeling a little better?" Ryou asked gently, seated beside the albino. Bakura sniffed and nodded slightly. Ryou was still, allowing Bakura to rest his head against his shoulder. "Good."

It had been almost a full year since Bakura first got the job.

They had managed to scrape enough money together to get their own place. The apartment the two of them shared was a bit smaller than Malik and Marik's, but they didn't mind the lack of space. It wasn't like they were home that much. Their apartment was in the same location of the two blondes', so sometimes they would visit each other.

But the day they moved out, Ryou knew that something inside of Bakura changed in an instant.

After they got themselves an apartment, Bakura began to have nightmares. Ryou wasn't quite sure why they started so suddenly, but he suspected that leaving the comfort of the only place he called home could have something to do with it. And not only was just having nightmares strange, but during the day, Bakura was completely normal. He would laugh and smile like nothing was wrong, talk, work on the puzzles, and act like a normal person. But when the nightmares started, he caved in.

The nightmares were far from normal. Bakura could never wake up on his own. He thrashed in his sleep, screaming, and violently lashing out. And when he finally gets out of it, he can't speak, he can barely breathe, and he just begins to cry.

The first time the nightmare happened, Ryou didn't know what to do. He had tried to snap Bakura out of it by screaming and by touch, but nothing worked. Not only that, but as Bakura fought in his sleep, he would sometimes hit or kick Ryou, or claw him, sometimes drawing blood.

Ryou had finally managed to snap him awake by comforting him somewhat, and Bakura near instantly began crying. He had cried for a long time, and Ryou tried his best to comfort him, but he knew something was wrong.

For a while, Bakura refused to talk about it. But when the incidents began happening more and more often, Ryou had managed to get him to cave in and tell.

His dreams were overridden by nightmares of the past: the kidnapping and testing. The horrid dreams were often morphed from their original state. Bakura was often left in nightmares he couldn't awaken from, experiencing far-too-real torture and pain.

Ryou had thought about taking Bakura to a psychiatrist, but he knew that deep down, not only could they not afford it, but also that Bakura would probably not wish to talk about it to strangers.

So Ryou became his form of comfort. Bakura normally had those nightmares about once a week, but sometimes, if he was stressed out, that would skyrocket to three or four. So Ryou always tried to keep the man calm and keep his stress levels down during the day, knowing that night would be the time of regret if he didn't.

Now Ryou was used to it all. He awoke from his slumber by heart-wrenching screaming from Bakura, and he started the process all over again. Wake him up, comfort him, and try to get him back to sleep without having more nightmares.

Ryou looked down at himself. There were several cuts on his arms from Bakura clawing him, and there was a nasty bruise beneath his ribcage from a rough kick from Bakura one night.

But Ryou couldn't hate him for it. It wasn't his fault.

Ryou rubbed a few more circles on the man's back. Bakura sniffed weakly, and left the glass on the old table. "I… I don't…want any more."

"Okay." Ryou pulled his fingers through Bakura's hair. "You think you can go back to sleep for me?"

Bakura shook his head softly. Sometimes it took almost an hour for the man to slip back into slumber. But Ryou knew if he pushed him into it, the man would only get stressed and have another nightmare the instant he closed his eyes.

So he just let Bakura go when he was ready.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ryou asked in a gentle voice, rocking Bakura gently. "You don't have to if you don't want to." Bakura weakly shook his head. "…Oh. Was I in it again?" Ryou asked softly. He knew the answer already. Bakura always told him the nightmare unless the teenager was in it as well.

Bakura merely nodded.

Ryou sighed. "Bakura, maybe we should try to get you some help. This isn't normal. You never had these dreams at the old apartment-"

"_No_!" Bakura suddenly screamed, eyes filling up with tears. "I don't need help, Ryou… I… I'm fine. I…I'm just…" Tears suddenly slipped down the man's pale face. "I-I'm s-scared. T-They're going to get out a-and find me…"

"You were fine at the other apartment. You weren't scared at all…"

"M-Malik and Marik w-were there. T-They would've protected me." Bakura's voice cracked as more tears cascaded down his face. "W-We're by ourselves, w-with no one around, c-completely vulnerable…" Bakura started sobbing all over again, pulling himself away from Ryou and buried his face in his hands, shaking uncontrollably, his breath ragged and trembling.

_I knew it. _Ryou sighed, pulling Bakura into his arms again, letting his chin rest atop the man's head. Bakura sobbed into his shirt once more, another wave of uncontrollable tears starting up yet again. "Bakura, it's okay… I'm here… I would never let them take you away again. And other than that, you're never going to see them again. They're going to rot in prison…"

He knew then Bakura was somewhat unstable. But he couldn't exactly blame him. Not only was Bakura kidnapped, but he was tested on while he was unconscious, not knowing what they were doing to him. And then his memories were erased like a meaningless file, and he nearly killed his own host.

It was enough to throw anyone over the edge.

Ryou smiled slightly as he noticed Bakura had fallen into an exhausted slumber, his fingers wrapped around Ryou's shirt. His face was still sopping wet from crying, and his eyes were swollen. Ryou knew better than to move, knowing that Bakura would instantly wake up. So instead, Ryou just settled in the kitchen, using the wall for support. Bakura refused to release his shirt, so the man's head rested against Ryou's body.

Ryou didn't mind, however. He merely smiled and ruffled Bakura's hair before going back to sleep.

* * *

It took nearly a month for the nightmares to stop.

Ryou had tried his own version of therapy, but Bakura seemed unaffected, for the nightmares just kept coming. Ryou then tried to mix the therapy with comfort and love, and had Bakura express himself via diary, and then the two would talk about it. Bakura often got _very _emotional during the sessions, which were set every other evening after dinner. Bakura usually wound up crying while they talked, and Ryou did his best to comfort him.

But it worked.

About a month after the start of the sessions, Bakura could finally sleep without the nightmares. However, every once in a while, they would come, but for one night only.

Bakura rarely cried anymore. Both of the albinos were happy about this.

Now, instead of spending the evenings doing therapy, the two would sit together on the cracked leather couch and bond. Bakura would do his puzzles as Ryou read the newspaper, or sometimes they would sit side by side and talk about anything.

And this had expanded Bakura's intelligence.

Usually, when they talked, Ryou often taught the duplicate new things. Bakura had learned from a rainbow of subjects, and he had taken it all in fairly quickly and easily.

Occasionally, if neither if them had to work, they would walk around town and do a few things together, and sometimes, Ryou even took Bakura to the library.

The albino took to it like a second home. He loved it.

So instead of just doing the puzzles from the paper, he would curl up beside Ryou and read the books he checked out. And whenever he finished a book, he would tell Ryou about it. He knew that sometimes the teenager was uninterested, but he listened anyway, always supporting him. Proud that he actually wanted to learn more. And this made Bakura's heart soar.

He learned from history to chemistry, from algebra to several types of literature. He was quite fond of the science of oceanography and learning of other living things. He also took a keen liking to supernatural novels. It wasn't very often he read fiction, but if he did, he read the paranormal and horror type of books, even some thrillers. Mysteries were okay too, but they weren't as appealing, mainly because he could always figure it all out before the end of the story. What was the fun in that?

However, even _he_ had his dislikes.

Romance was on the top of that list. Sappy, fluffy, romances disgusted him. Also, he didn't take too strong of a liking to political science, or classical languages. Sure, they were the basics of the modern languages, but no one spoke them…

When he was waiting to check out some new books, Bakura would write.

He liked writing as well, but it was harder than reading. He knew this for a fact. He was often left drawing blanks, sitting there, trying to think of what to write next. Everything had to go just perfect, or some people could be thrown off.

So he read more often. And sometimes he would sit there with a book for so long, he stayed up late at night, unable to tear his eyes away from the text and merely close the book. Ryou wouldn't bother to try to get him to sleep, knowing that he would only fight a losing battle. So he just went to sleep after telling the man goodnight, and Bakura would respond the same words, his light coming in from the window from the city.

Sometimes he would stay up nearly all night reading, and then the next day at work he was so tired he could barely stay awake. But it wasn't like it was intended. He was just so hooked he couldn't put it down.

He had also taken in a keen interest for music lately.

He wasn't quite sure why, but there were some people practicing their playing in the spare room of the library with the door closed. He watched them quietly through the windows, hefting his newly checked out books in his arms. Even though his arms were trembling slightly from the weight, he couldn't pull himself away from watching. It almost seemed unreal to him. Like a dream… Sure, he had heard songs before, for there was always something playing in the restaurant. But never had he heard a single instrument work alone, and yet, it produced such pure music.

Someone had finally come out of the room, wanting to know what he wanted. Bakura had embarrassedly apologized for staring, and he made a motion to leave, but that girl held him back, instead insisting the albino join them.

Bakura had declined, saying that he knew nothing of it, and that he would only be in their way; but the teenager insisted, saying that he looked perfectly capable of learning.

Bakura had caved in. He was grateful, however, to set down his large amount of books, feeling a tremendous amount of weight lift from his arms. And then he spent a few hours with the group of musicians, the girl helping him learn. He loved it, though, even though he was only just beginning. He took a keen liking to the guitar and the piano in a near instant.

He finally left, and when he learned that the group practiced there every Saturday, Bakura had told Ryou about it. When Ryou finally caved and allowed him to continue, Bakura forced himself to squeeze the lessons into his schedule, eager to have more time to practice playing, and he had a little flutter in his stomach that maybe, just maybe, he would grow to be as good as the others. Not only would he be learning when he went, but then he could return his books and get new ones while he was there.

* * *

Bakura had saved up enough money to buy himself a guitar.

Sure, it wasn't the best in the world; it was old and the coloring had completely faded away, but Bakura didn't care. It still produced the same, pure noise as an expensive one. He had also bought a package of picks and a set of strings, and after he replaced the little ropes, he showed Ryou what he had learned in the past few months that night. And he felt himself beaming when Ryou told him how good he was, how proud he was of him; Bakura couldn't help but be happy. The teen was always supportive of him, always praising him… And every time, he felt his heart soaring higher.

His routine changed when he went to the library.

He had gotten a firm, cotton bag from the grocery store for a few dollars, and now, he carried his library books in it. With the bag slung over one shoulder, he used his now free hands to gently carry his guitar.

Sometimes, he took Ryou with him, to let the teenager watch him and the others play, and he introduced Ryou to the girl that had first gotten him into it all.

It turned out the girl was Shizuka, Jounouchi's sister. And even though her vision was impaired, she could play the piano extremely well. Ryou had introduced Bakura to Jou once, but they rarely saw each other, for Jou often worked late shfits at the restaurant.

Just like Bakura, Ryou, too, had found his own haven.

It may have been a girlish type of thing, but he sewed. He didn't mind what others said about his hobby. After all, he used to do it with his mother and his sister before they went. And not only that, but he made plenty of useful items; blankets, clothes, scarves… Not one piece of thread went to waste.

The two would sit together of the couch, Bakura with his book, his old, faithful guitar propped up in the corner for later, and Ryou would knit, occasionally measuring Bakura. It had become such a routine that sometimes Ryou would just say a part of him, and Bakura would just stick it out for him to measure, not bothering to tear his eyes away from the book in his lap.

Ryou was also good at cooking.

Often Bakura was left eating something unique almost every night, and he took a quick liking to it. Ryou often joked that without him being around to cook, Bakura would starve to death.

Malik had once commented that Ryou had a beautiful singing voice. Ryou, however, had disagreed.

Bakura had brought that up one night, saying that it was a possibility Ryou could sing while he played his battered, old guitar. Ryou had hesitated, but finally warmed up to the idea.

Now whenever Bakura would strum the notes, sending the tiny apartment into the smallest hum, Ryou would sing. His soft, pure voice easily matched the clean music of the guitar.

Bakura had tried to get him to sing at the musicians' recital, but Ryou had embarrassedly refused, far too shy to sing in front of strangers. But finally, Bakura had gotten him to cave in, and the two preformed a small song together.

Ryou, despite his nervousness, sang just like always, focusing on Bakura's music instead of the people watching him. And it worked.

So now not only did they occasionally perform at the rictal's, but both of their skills were expanding. Bakura could now play a variety of songs, his skillful fingers easily moving along, and Ryou sang along, now able to get higher and lower notes than previously.

Bakura not only brought a book with him, but he also brought his guitar with him wherever he went, the trusty, old instrument tucked away in its black case.

Bakura had once brought out the guitar in the coffee shop, but Ryou had refused to sing. He felt like he wasn't ready.

Bakura didn't push him to do it; he merely played a small song on the battered instrument before he put it away, knowing that time would tell when Ryou would sing along no matter where they were.

And the months kept going by.

Soon it was winter again, and the two traveled together as if they were joined at the hip. Even though it wasn't painfully cold out, Bakura wore the scarf Ryou had made him; it was black, and insanely soft, and Ryou knew he loved it.

Bakura had never bothered to buy new boots, so his nearly three-year-old pair was falling apart in several places, so worn on the bottom that they squeaked.

He had finally scraped together enough to buy a new pair.

They were pitch black and leather, and made a satisfying thudding on the floor. And what Bakura liked best was that they were actually warm.

Ryou had invested in a new coat.

The cotton jacket reached his knees, and it was so thick that the most he wore underneath it was a tee shirt. He knew the thick coat would probably last him a good few years.

In the wintertime, if was sometimes too cold to go out regularly. Often the two albinos took shelter in the coffee house, ordering two small cups. Ryou liked his sweet and he often dumped a lot of cream into it, and Bakura liked his strong.

The two would sit in the little building for hours, Bakura reading or strumming his guitar while Ryou would work on a new piece of clothing, or he would work on writing a song that could go with one of Bakura's musical pieces.

Sometimes they would go to the arcade together, or the movies, just like normal teenagers.

All those months ago, neither of them thought it would end up this way. Living like normal people didn't seem like an option. But now it just felt… Well, nice.

Bakura glanced down at Ryou, who was right beside him, the two walking down the sidewalk. His hand tightened a bit on the battered guitar case. "Ryou, do you want to hit the coffee shop?"

Ryou nodded slightly, and the two headed in the direction of the small building. By now they were such regular customers, the employees already knew what they wanted.

After they were seated with their cups of the liquid, Bakura unzipped the case, extracting his old guitar, and draped it over his legs, taking a moment to adjust a few things.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, lowering the cup from his lips.

"Hn?" Bakura mumbled, trying to get the tuning just right. He strummed one note to test it out. "What is it?"

"I'll sing with you this time."

* * *

Chapter 30: End.

A/N: THE END!

Yay, a happy ending! XD But you know, I still can't believe this is over. It stills feels like it hasn't been that long to me since this began, even though that was last year... Well, anyway, please review, and I hope to hear from you guys when I start up some new fanfics! :)

Much love!

-Clouded-Days.


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